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        <title>Real Estate Blog</title>
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        <description></description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/a-simple-prayer-may-be-the-answer-to-selling-your-home.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/a-simple-prayer-may-be-the-answer-to-selling-your-home.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>A Simple  Prayer may be the answer to selling your home!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
This may seem like bad times to sell a home, but they are not.  In the words of Steve Harney I offer you the following words of encouragement.


You may believe that selling your home is impossible in today’s market. You may feel powerless to the process. What could YOU possibly do to turn this housing market around? There is no doubt that today’s real estate market is extremely difficult to navigate. However, we want you to know that thousands of homes sold yesterday, thousands will sell today and thousands will sell each and every day from now until the end of the year.


It is totally within your power to guarantee that your house will sell even in the current market.


How you ask? Let’s look at the simplicity of the famous Serenity Prayer and apply it to selling a home in today’s real estate market.


“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”


Accept the things you cannot change


The two main reasons that the housing prices have softened:




the current economy


the inventory of distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales)




As an individual homeowner there is no way for you to impact either of those two situations. The best think-tanks in the country are struggling to discover solutions.


Have the courage to change the things you can


There is not a vacuum of buyers in the market. There is a vacuum of homes a buyer in today’s market will purchase. Let us explain: could you sell your home today for $1? … $1,000 … $10,000? Of course you could. There are plenty of buyers in the market for a home they consider priced correctly. You have to decide what the correct price is for your home if you truly want to sell. If you want your house sold, you must list it at a price a buyer will pay for it. Not a buyer from 2006 but today’s buyer who has plenty of homes from which to choose.


It will take courage to sit with a real estate professional and honestly decipher the true value of your home. If you want to sell, you must have that courage.


The wisdom to know the difference


We all realize that the economic situation will take some time to correct. If we want to wait for prices to return to 2006 levels, we will probably have to wait for 5-7 years.


Look at the reason you decided to sell in the first place and decide whether the extra money you would get from the sale is worth that wait. Is money more important than being with family? Is money more important than your health? Is money more important than having the freedom to go on with your life the way you think you should?


This is where your wisdom must kick in. You already know the answers to the questions we just asked. You have the power to take back control of the situation by pricing your home to guarantee it sells. The time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire. That is what is truly important. 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:43:50 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/some-surprises-may-becoming-from-the-article-two-you-may-have-missed.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/some-surprises-may-becoming-from-the-article-two-you-may-have-missed.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>Some surprises may becoming, from the article "Two you may have missed"</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
It is beleived that the interest rates will remain at historical lows, but some of you are finding different.  No one really expects interest rates to remain this low, but the time they will be ths low maybe shorter than you think.  It may give you some clarity in the following blog by Steve Harvey.


Before the end of the year, Congress and the President agreed to extend the payroll tax cut. In that bill, there were two items of interest for those involved in real estate.


1.) The hike in the Guarantee Fees charged by the GSEs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.


The 10 basis point increase in the fees has translated to a .375% to .5% increase in mortgage rates for conventional loans. Many customers who started their loans a couple of months ago are being “surprised” with higher than expected rates. Heck, everything you read in the papers says rates are at historic lows and will likely stay there through 2014. Many consumers feel as if their lender is being unscrupulous. However, your lender has fallen victim to the increase in Guarantee Fees and how the secondary market is passing on the cost. What looks like possible lender greed is just a passing on of the increased expense imposed by the government. Sadly, the increased revenue isn’t even being used to help aid an ailing Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. It is being turned over to the US Treasury to cover the temporary extension of the payroll tax cut.


2.) Permission for HUD to increase the insurance premiums they charge on FHA loans.


If you remember, HUD charges two insurance premiums – a monthly one and an up-front one that is usually added into the loan. Most recently, they reduced the up-front mortgage insurance premium (UFMIP) and dramatically raised the monthly fee (MMIP). It is widely anticipated that, maybe as soon as April, we will see a hike in the UFMIP with no adjustment to the MMIP. While this will help shore up the reserves in the insurance fund, it will simultaneously make buying a home more expensive. No one knows the effective date or amount of the increase. Buyers should look to buy before the increase in fees.


We always hear how our government officials tuck away things in their bills. In this case, while the headlines during the holidays praised Washington for preserving the payroll tax cut, they may have hurt us more in the long run.


 
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:25:20 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/february-is-a-great-month-to-look-for-a-vacation-home-or-to-retire-too.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/february-is-a-great-month-to-look-for-a-vacation-home-or-to-retire-too.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>February is a great month to look for a vacation home or to retire too</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
February is usually the slowest month of the year, for many reasons.  The weather is usually unfriendly, but not this year.  The weather in the Rehoboth Beach and surrounding areas has been extremely mild.  For most of us, February generally means cabin fever, but since we are having what we believe to be a mild winter it is actually a great time to make a trip to visit the area.  Whether you come for the day or longer, most of the restuarants have nightly specials, no paying for parking or fighting crowds and the hotels in the area also offer off season rates.  


Once you arrive here, you will not have to wait in long lines of traffic, and it is actually just like paradise where you feel like you have the whole area to yourself.  Pick from the best restaurants and tables available or shop with all the sales going on at the shops and outlet stores.


February is also a great month to take advantage of buying your second home or retirement home, you will have the pick of the litter and take advantage of the new construction specials, however whether you are looking for an existing home or a newly built home, always take a realtor with you.  A Realtor will not cost you any money, but will most likely get you the best deal even if the home is new construction.


Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Bethany Beach, Oceanview, Fenwick Island Homes for sale not only offer Live Styles and Dreams where memories are made but are truly great investments, and let us not forget that the interest rates are still at an all time historical low!  


Whether you are looking for single family homes, Town Homes or Condos for sale in the Rehoboth Beach and surrounding areas, we are sure we have something for everyone.  


Not only do you get a great home, you get a great life style, and everyone will want to come to visit you.  There are definitely things to enjoy all year around here and you will not be disappointed.  


We would love to tour you around to get you familar with the area, a fun, educational and relaxing tour of the area with no pressure, becuase we put people before profits.  Our intent is not to sell you, it is to educate you and see if this the area and the life style you are looking for.


Lastly did you know that our Delaware Beach area has half of all the 5 Star Rated Beaches in the entire country?  Well it is true and something we take a lot of pride in.  So come make Delaware and perticularly Sussex County your next home!
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            <pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:01:17 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/national-mortgage-settlement-what-you-need-to-know.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/national-mortgage-settlement-what-you-need-to-know.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>National Mortgage Settlement: What you need to know!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Last week, the Federal government and 49 state governments (Oklahoma being the exception) agreed to a $25 billion settlement regarding robo-signing and the challenges it created in the foreclosure process. We want to give a synopsis of the settlement and some perspective on what effect it will have on the housing market in 2012.


The Basics


The $25 billion in funds will be dispersed as follows:


$17 Billion National Commitment to Foreclosure Relief EffortsThe servicers collectively agree to commit a minimum of $17 billion directly to borrowers through foreclosure relief effort options, including principal reduction for qualifying borrowers, short sales, anti-blight measures, and enhanced homeowner transition programs.


$3 Billion National Commitment to Underwater Mortgage Refinancing ProgramThe servicers collectively agree to commit $3 billion to refinance “underwater” homes (when a homeowner owes more on a mortgage than a home’s current market value). To qualify, borrowers must be current on their mortgage payments on a mortgage owned by one of the five banks.


$5 Billion Payment to States and Federal GovernmentThe servicers’ $4.25 billion payment to the states includes $1.5 billion for payments to borrowers who lost their home to foreclosure by one of the five servicers…$750 million of the state-federal payment will go to the federal government to resolve federal claims.


For further details on the settlement you can go to the official website.


Will the Settlement Have a Major Impact on a Housing Recovery?


Probably not. Though it is a step in the right direction, it may be too little too late. Here are some opinions on the settlement:


IHS Global Insights




 “Like many previous plans to stem foreclosures, this agreement will help at the edges. The problem is too big for it to have a large impact, however…This agreement will help the housing market move ahead in 2012 in a small way. But it is hardly a game changer.”




HSH.com




“While there is no doubt some benefit to formalizing and organizing the process of foreclosure and better monitoring of the process, the fact is that the settlement changes little.”




Capital Economics




 “While it is good that the settlement has been finalized and will offer principal reductions and refinancing schemes to borrowers, the bigger picture is that the settlement is not large enough to dramatically alter the outlook for the housing market or the wider economy.”




What about Foreclosures Moving Forward?


The settlement did bring clarity to one major issue – foreclosures. Banks have been holding off the foreclosure process on millions of homes over the last 18 months as they waited for the particulars of the settlement. They now know how they can move forward without penalty. The result will be an increase in foreclosures coming to the housing market.


Housing Wire




“It will speed up processing, and perhaps mean that foreclosures that have been waiting around since robo-signing came to light in 2010 will now gain legitimacy.”




Calculated Risk




“It does appear the number of completed foreclosures will increase following this settlement – especially in some judicial states with large backlogs – so there will probably be more REOs (lender Real Estate Owned) for sale.”




Bloomberg News




“The $25 billion settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses may result in a wave of home seizures…Lenders slowed the pace of foreclosures as they negotiated with attorneys general in all 50 states for more than a year over allegations of faulty and fraudulent paperwork used to repossess homes. With yesterday’s agreement, banks are likely to resume property seizures.”




Wells Fargo




“Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, said the settlement helps the housing market in the long run because it allows banks to proceed with millions of foreclosures that have been stalled. Many lenders have refrained from foreclosing on homes as they awaited the settlement.”





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            <pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:02:46 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/who-is-the-quarterback.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/who-is-the-quarterback.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>Who is the Quarterback?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Given that it’s Superbowl Week (Go Team!), I thought we might go with a football theme today. I can’t tell you how many different people I hear proclaim that they are the quarterback of the real estate transaction – the agent, the loan officer, an attorney, accountant or financial planner. But for goodness sake, the buyer/borrower had better be the one calling the shots. Not that everyone else doesn’t play an important role, but the buyer/borrower is the one most impacted by the choices made.


Here’s my opinion of how the team works best:




Head Coach (Your Loan Officer) – Your loan officer should be the Head Coach. After careful analysis of your income, credit and assets, this is the person in the best position to make sure you are playing to your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses.  Your loan officer can discuss the economic realities of homeownership, while listening to your quality of life concerns. (How often you’ll be able to eat out or vacation, for example.) The loan officer can set up the game plan.


Offensive Coordinator (Your Real Estate Agent) – Your real estate agent is your offensive coordinator. Armed with the game plan (which includes your limitations), the agent calls the plays, counseling you on the geography, the competition, the best ways to negotiate your way to your personal touchdown. Agents know the playing field (the inventory and the market). If you hire them to represent you, they can disclose the weaknesses of your competition (the seller).


Offensive Line (Your Attorney, Accountant and Financial Advisors) – Your attorney, accountant and financial advisors are your offensive line. They are there to protect you from the blitzes that come from outside (sellers, title issues, tax consequences, and protecting your assets). Not the glamour positions, but vital to any success you are going to have.


Running Backs and Wide Receivers (Your Friends and Family) – Your friends and family are the running backs and wide receivers. They often receive the glory and attention, but honestly, if everyone else doesn’t do their job, they rarely ever see success. Bad game plans, weak play calling, poor execution on the offensive line or by you, as quarterback, leave them merely as names on the roster.




As with any team, communication is the most important component to getting the desired results. Being the center of the action on the field, the quarterback (you) needs to honestly talk with your coaches and coordinators, so they can help direct you on the proper play calling. Simultaneously, you need to heed the feedback from your offensive line, running backs, and receivers to filter wise advice from emotion. Be the quarterback of your own home-buying process and you’ll be more likely to realize your dreams (and not the dreams of someone else).
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            <pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:45:05 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/how-does-your-agent-market-themselves-indicates-how-they-will-market-your-home1.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/how-does-your-agent-market-themselves-indicates-how-they-will-market-your-home1.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>How Does Your Agent Market Themselves Indicates How They Will Market Your Home.</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
With the glut of available homes on the market, how your home is marketed is the biggest factor in determining how quickly it will sell (assuming the price is reasonably presented). A real estate agent’s marketing plan should be the most crucial determinant in deciding who to list your home with. But, how can you really know about the agent’s marketing strategies?


One way is to see what they are doing with their current clients. Do those homes “stand out”? Contact those sellers. Are they getting a lot of showings and offers?


 


Another way is looking at how the agent markets themselves and their services:




Does the photo they use for themselves represent how they look?


Does their print advertising look like everyone else’s?


What technology are they using to show your home? Are they using video?


Is their website interesting and full of current information or just cookie cutter?


Do they have a professional presence on social networks?


Does their marketing show them as an expert or does it merely pat them on the back?




Quality photos on the web and top notch video may be the factor that drives people to see your house (and they are very important). However, how an agent drives traffic to see those photos and videos is even more important.


We all know the saying - “It’s not what you know…it’s who you know.” However, in marketing, it’s more crucial to know “who knows you”. Agents who are unknown are not good marketers. Today, you need an excellent marketer to represent you.
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            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:09:33 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/how-does-your-agent-market-themselves-indicates-how-they-will-market-your-home.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/how-does-your-agent-market-themselves-indicates-how-they-will-market-your-home.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>How Does Your Agent Market Themselves Indicates How They Will Market Your Home.</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
With the glut of available homes on the market, how your home is marketed is the biggest factor in determining how quickly it will sell (assuming the price is reasonably presented). A real estate agent’s marketing plan should be the most crucial determinant in deciding who to list your home with. But, how can you really know about the agent’s marketing strategies?


One way is to see what they are doing with their current clients. Do those homes “stand out”? Contact those sellers. Are they getting a lot of showings and offers?


 


Another way is looking at how the agent markets themselves and their services:




Does the photo they use for themselves represent how they look?


Does their print advertising look like everyone else’s?


What technology are they using to show your home? Are they using video?


Is their website interesting and full of current information or just cookie cutter?


Do they have a professional presence on social networks?


Does their marketing show them as an expert or does it merely pat them on the back?




Quality photos on the web and top notch video may be the factor that drives people to see your house (and they are very important). However, how an agent drives traffic to see those photos and videos is even more important.


We all know the saying - “It’s not what you know…it’s who you know.” However, in marketing, it’s more crucial to know “who knows you”. Agents who are unknown are not good marketers. Today, you need an excellent marketer to represent you.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:06:06 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/everyone-is-buying-and-getting-a-mortgage.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/everyone-is-buying-and-getting-a-mortgage.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>People are buying and getting a Mortgage!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



Many believe that very few houses are selling and that almost no one can get a mortgage. We want to let everyone know that neither of these assumptions is true. Recently, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Existing Homes Sales Report. According to the report there are, on average, 12,109 homes selling in the United States EACH and EVERY DAY! That means that approximately 12,000 houses sold yesterday, approximately 12,000 will sell today and approximately 12,000 will sell tomorrow. So the thinking that homes aren’t selling just isn’t true.


Another interesting fact in the report was that 72% of these transactions were accompanied by a mortgage. That means that approximately 8,719 people qualify for a mortgage on a daily basis in this country.


There are over 12,000 homes sold and over 8,000 mortgages granted every day. The real estate market is doing better than many believe. Steve Harney
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            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:38:00 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/information-in-real-estate-has-been-misleading.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/information-in-real-estate-has-been-misleading.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>Information in Real Estate has been misleading!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
There is too much misinformation being spread about today’s real estate market. Studies are being misinterpreted. Prominent names are being used to foster a point even if their quote is from years ago.


As an example, we want to look at a story published last week by The Fiscal Times titled The New American Dream: Rent, Don’t Buy. In the article, they claim:




“Call it the Big Selloff—America is headed toward a future in which fewer people own the spaces they call home… Those trends are just the beginning.”




We are not arguing that the homeownership rate is under downward pressure in this country. We are disputing some of the ‘evidence’ used in the article. Here are three points we want to refute:


The Homeownership Rate IS NOT in a Freefall


The article quotes a Morgan Stanley study from July 2011 which did make the argument that the homeownership rate was trending downward. Many others made the same point at that time.  What the article failed to mention is that the homeownership rate unexpectedly increased in the third quarter of 2011! As DSNews reported in early November:




“After falling to a 13-year low during the second quarter, the homeownership rate posted a highly unexpected rise in the third quarter, according to a Census Bureau report.”




The jury is still out as to whether the homeownership rate will continue to fall or whether it has already bottomed out.


The Founders of Case-Shiller ARE NOT Saying Renting is Better


In the article mentioned above, they claim that the team that founded the prestigious Case-Shiller Pricing Index believes that buying makes little sense. The article explains that back in 2006 Robert Shiller presented a study based on data collected prior to 2005 showing that, over time, it made more sense to rent than buy. They use this information to conclude:




 “Another skeptic is Yale economist Robert Shiller, co-creator of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index.”




They claim Shiller is a skeptic today based on what he said six years ago!


The major challenge we have with this is that Karl Case, the other founder of the Case Shiller Index, came out ten days ago saying that now is the time to buy. The New York Times in a story published on 12/30/2011 quotes Professor Case as saying:




“If you’re buying a house or apartment to live in and pay for over time, and can afford the payments, then it’s a terrific time to buy.”




Beracha and Johnson DID NOT Conclude That You Shouldn’t Buy


The Fiscal Times article went on to say:




“And in a paper this June in the journal Real Estate Economics, two researchers calculated that over the past 30 years, most often it would have been better to rent than buy.”




They were referring to the great study done by Beracha and Johnson titled Lessons from Over 30 Years of Buy versus Rent Decisions: Is the American Dream Always Wise? We are very familiar with this study as we posted on it back in May of last year. The paper does explain that over the last thirty years the financial benefits of buying vs. renting could be debated.


However, the conclusion of the paper left no room for argument. According to professors Beracha and Johnson, NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!




“(F)undamental drivers now appear to be in place that favor homeownership over renting in the near term future…


“[This] might seem unwise to many given the recent crash in the real estate markets around the country. However, rent-to-price ratios now seem to be in place along with other fundamental drivers that favor ownership over renting.”




They conclude their research paper with this sentence:




“Conditions (historically low mortgage rates and relatively low rent-to-price ratios) now seem in place to favor future purchases.”




Dr. Johnson, Ph.D. — Florida International University (FIU) and Editor of the Journal of Housing Research, is now a guest blogger on this site and in November shared with us his current presentation on this issue. To download the presentation, go to http://realestate.fiu.edu/buyer-or-renter-nation.html.
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            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:53:33 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/when-the-guru-says-buy-buy.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.viewdelawarehomes.com/blog/when-the-guru-says-buy-buy.html</link>
            <author>Don@viewdelawarehomes.com (Don Williams)</author>
            <title>When the Guru Says buy!  BUY!!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
John R. Talbott, previously a Goldman Sachs investment banker, is a bestselling author and economic consultant. When it comes to the housing market he is also a prophet. When housing prices started to skyrocket in 2003, he published The Coming Crash in the Housing Market correctly warning us that a real estate bubble was forming. Then in January 2006, he called the absolute peak of home prices in the US by releasing a new book, Sell Now! The End of the Housing Bubble.


Mr. Talbott, the person who accurately predicted the housing bubble and its bust, now has a new prediction – IT IS THE TIME TO BUY A HOME! In a recent article, Homes – Buy Now!, Talbott simply explains:




“I have been waiting for more than five years to offer this advice. It is now time in most cities across the country to buy a new home or refinance your existing home with thirty-year fixed rate mortgage debt.”




He goes on to explain that his conclusion is based on four different metrics, all of which favor buying today:




Home Prices Relative to Peak Prices During the Bubble


Home Prices Relative to Construction Costs or Replacement Costs


Home Prices Relative to Incomes and Rents


Home Prices in Real Terms, Not US Dollar Terms




Bottom Line


If the person who called the real estate bubble and its bust says now is the time to buy, we believe it is time to buy.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:50:31 -0500</pubDate>
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