Shorewest, REALTORS® ranks 10th in the list of real estate firms in the United States, according to a Real Trends' survey of leading brokerage firms nationwide. As Wisconsin's Largest Home Seller, Shorewest is the only Wisconsin-based real estate firm to be listed in the top 10.

The Real Trends ranking represents the largest diversified real estate service providers reporting at least one settlement service in addition to real estate sales. The Shorewest family of companies - which includes Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation, Shorewest Insurance Associates, Home Services and Heritage Title Services and Home Security of America (which offers home warranties) offer its clients unique benefits when buying or selling a home.

In 2009, Shorewest completed 9,775 closed transaction sides and 12,047 settlement services transactions, for a total of 21,822 real estate services provided.

Firms are ranked based on the number of closed transactions in the most recent calendar year. Submissions are verified for accuracy by sources outside the firm. Real Trends is the nation's leading publisher of trends and analysis of the residential real estate brokerage industry.

As the fourth largest Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lender in Wisconsin, Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation is a leader in providing home loan services.

With Wisconsin Mortgage's low closing costs and FHA loans only requiring a 3.5% down payment, now is the time to buy a home. Below is a table of the maximum FHA loan amounts by county.

In today's market, it is good to know about every mortgage program and service available, and Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation has always offered the most progressive mortgage solutions available. Wisconsin Mortgage offers in-house FHA underwriting and processing with over 22 years of experience as a Housing and Urban Development approved lender.

Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation is locally owned and operated and has been providing quality home loan services throughout Wisconsin since 1983. A team of home loan experts are ready to help close your loan quickly and professionally.

Having a good credit score is imperative to getting a mortgage and determining what rate and fees you'll pay. A credit score also affects your homeowners' and auto insurance rates and a variety of other things.

Knowing the components and percentages that go into your FICO Score can help you determine how to manage your credit.

The five factors that determine a FICO Score are:

Credit History (35%)

Your activity and performance over the last 24 months holds the most weight even though your credit profile will look back seven years. Tip: If you have a "charge off" for a bill you didn't pay five years ago, don't pay it off before applying for a mortgage. This will bring the "charge off" into the 24-month window that's weighted the most when determining score.

Amount of Credit (30%)

This is the amount of debt you have divided by the amount of debt you have available to you. For instance, a person who owes $5,000 on a credit card with a balance of $5,000 will have a lower credit score. You want to target 30% or less usage of your available credit. Tip: Avoid canceling some of your credit cards before applying for a mortgage. It actually lowers your amount of credit available, driving your percentage of usage higher, lowering your credit score.

Length of Credit History (15%)

The longer you have had excellent standing credit the better your score will be. Tip: Don't cancel credit cards that have a long payment history. Take this into consideration before deleting any from your history.

Types of Credit (10%)

Installment debt such as mortgage payments, auto payments and student loans are weighted most to calculate your score. Payments like these are typically fixed in amount and due date, so missing a payment is a red flag that there is a problem. Major credit cards have variable payments and due dates and play less importance.

Credit Inquiries (10%)

Credit inquiries by various industries are now factored into scoring models. For example, if you are shopping for a mortgage from several companies within a 45-day time frame all of those inquiries will be treated as one. But if you are shopping for a mortgage and a car loan at the same time, your score can be lowered by as many as 55 points.

Control your credit appropriately to take advantage of some of best interest rates available in history.

Real estate can be one of the most rewarding career paths you can choose. As you may know, your success depends upon your own initiative, your rapport with customers and your knowledge of the industry. But it also depends on where you choose to work. And no one offers you as many opportunities and as much support as Shorewest.

Appropriately, the first thing we provide you with is a strong foundation. Shorewest's Real Estate Institute is a state-approved school that provides the most extensive training and ongoing education you'll find from any realty company. After you graduate, our Career Development program teaches more in a few days than most new real estate associates learn in their first full year. In fact, eight out of 10 associates join us because of our training. It's the best in the industry.

We not only train you for success, we provide the tools and support necessary to build a successful real estate career. From innovative technology to impressive personal marketing. Title experts to closing professionals. It's all waiting for you at Shorewest.

Succeed with Shorewest!

Wisconsin's Largest Home Seller offers:

• A flexible schedule
• Unlimited earning potential
• The most advanced technology in the industry
• The best training programs
• Your own professional coach to ensure your success

Take a few minutes to evaluate your real estate potential at joinshorewest.com

Let's take a look at some interesting real estate statistics.

Homes are larger and have more bedrooms and bathrooms than homes built over 30 years ago, based on a 2009 American Housing Survey. Modern homes include more amenities such as central air conditioning and dishwashers.

Other U.S. stats include:

• 86% of 130,112,000 residential housing units are occupied
• Median age of a home is 36 years
• 68% of homes are owner-occupied
• Median lot size for single-family home is 0.27
• 53% of homes contain six or more rooms
• 64% of homes have three or more bedrooms
• 65% have central air conditioning and 21% have window units
• 28% of home owners complained about noise from traffic
• 51% of homes have two or more bathrooms
• 51% of homes are located in suburban areas

The current real estate market is ideal for more than just first-time homebuyers. It's a great market for entrepreneurs who are willing to invest and hold on to the homes for the long-term. Current investors who buy multiple properties may see long-term returns that beat investments in the stock market.

Renting out investment properties provides the cash flow needed to cover the mortgage while home values improve in the years to come. So, if you can cover expenses through rent payments and control your cash invested (down payment and closing costs) at a three-to-one ratio, the long-term strategy should bring positive results in the future.

Let's start by looking at how a neighborhood is impacted by foreclosed homes. Prices of homes are determined by supply and demand. The supply of discounted homes (those in default and short sales) decreases the values of the homes in the neighborhood because they are included when looking at comparables around the area.

Furthermore, mortgage lenders and investors would create more restrictions on credit policies and increase prices to protect themselves from defaults with future mortgages.

Rather than strategically default on mortgages, homeowners should consider a short sale. A property could sell for nearly 87% of full value as a short sale compared with only around 57% of full value as a foreclosure. Plus, the individual(s) credit would be affected less seriously.

Buying a home today might not seem like the best idea as the home market continues to struggle. But for the majority of families, owning a home today makes more sense than not. Let's look at five reasons why today might be the best time in U.S. history to buy a home.

1. Real Estate is a Great Long-Term Investment.

2. A home is a great place to raise a family. According to Fannie Mae's 2010 National Housing Survey of renters about why owning a home is a good choice:

• 78% said it was a good place to raise children
• 75% said they would feel safe
• 70% said you have control of your own space

3. Affordability to buy a home is at near all-time best levels. A study by Credit Suisse reports that the percentage of median household income needed to pay the mortgage on a median-priced home is at a 30-year low. Affordable mortgage payments and the opportunity for improvement in property values make homeownership more attractive than renting for many. The graph below shows results from the study.

4. A home creates a sense of community.

5. People who own a home today, don't regret it.

Ninety percent of homeowners say they don't regret buying their home despite the foreclosures, short sales and loan modifications, according to a recent national poll conducted by Bankrate.com.