John Piper's Blog

Bryan Says It All

2007-06-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Bryan Sims, founder of Brass CU Magazine was the featured speaker at meetings I attended recently in Albany. At 23 years old, Bryan has become the spokesperson of his generation.How did he do it? He challenged the status quo of the financial world.Like most of his generation, he expected better answers of us, those who had gone before him, when it came to financing his idea for a magazine to inform his generation about money.His success has been profound, to say the least.
Working with credit unions like Family First, he has created partnerships across America to assist in educating young persons all about earning , saving and investing their money. It does not end there, as the Brass CU Magazine features articles about success stories of the young.

Google him and you can learn a lot about what he does.Also , tune into Brass CU on familyfirstny.com to see more of Brass CU.

Brass CU - the teen connection

2007-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

If you have not seen the latest info for the teenage members of Family First, you are out of the loop!
Brass CU, the new current events and financial aid for high school and college age youth, has hit the streets. "Youth today, rich tomorrow ", is the theme of Brass CU, as we provide quality education and hot tips on saving and spending.
The scoop on money, saving and wisely spending, is out there for you. The online version on www.familyfirstny.com also gives you instant access to Brass CU. the Brass concept has been created by 23 year old Bryan Sims.
Nuff said.

Teens Benefit with Fritter Finder

2007-01-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

Todays teenagers are smarter than ever. How so?Most have gotten us as parents to introduce them to to a coffee culture that is beyond compare. That culture is their version of the diner that some of us knew as teens.
The difference however, beyond the flavor in the coffee, is the cost. Yes, with inflation figured in, it is not all that bad, but the daily latte factor easily equates to well over $800.00 a year.
At Family First we encourage teens to use the Fritter Finder, to add up their spending for just one week. The Fritter Finder, a simple one page expense tracker form, assists teens in tracking their daily spending habits over a one week period.
Most are amazed at the results! More importantly they are amazed at what they can save!
Saving is the key word for parents with teens. We encourage parents to use a debit card in the early teen years, as a way to observe and educate their teen on wants and needs.
With todays' college grads averaging $2,800.00 in credit card debt, I can't think of a better way to prepare your teen for their financial future than a Fritter Finder expedition.

Teens save money at Family First

2006-11-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Teenagers from Junior High through College are saving $$ by becoming members of credit unions. At Family First Federal Credit Union in Rochester, N.Y., teens are first exposed to the credit union philosophy via the promotions Family First offers to Teens exclusively.
How about not paying ATM fees, anywhere, anytime! Teens in high school and area colleges have taken advantage of this opportunity in large numbers, courtesy of Family First.

Need a loan to purchase a musical instrument? Try the interest only loan for college students.
Classical guitar music majors have benefited from this great opportunity.
Care for coffee and music with that debit card? Family First was the site of a Friday afternoon coffee house, right in the lobby of their main branch.

Teens are one of the big priorities for the credit union's staff , as they build loyalty, support and business from this savvy young demo. You can even be spotted in your car and receive a $20 gift card just for having the Family First "euro" on your car window or bumper.

From coffee to Ipods, chances are that if you are a teenage member of Family First, you come first ! Ask the thousands of teens who collected pennies for charity to win a concert from Teddy Geiger, in their high school auditorium.

In December, you can witness the excitement firsthand, at Penfield High School, during their Coaches for Cancer Basketball Tournament, sponsored by Family First, of course.

For teens in the greater Rochester area, Family First is sweet.

Check them out-

Teddy Geiger coming to your High School?

2006-10-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

Pop phenom Teddy Geiger may be performing a private concert at your high school,as part of the 98PXY Radio Hillside Pennies program sponsored by Family First Federal Credit Union.The popular challenge is a huge hit with area high schools as Rochesters' own Teddy, donates his concert to the high school that collects the most pennies for Hillside Family of Services. The popular Marketplace Mall will be a delivery spot for pennies October 30-November 17. You will also be able to drop pennies of at all Family First branches.

Speaking of music, Family First also specializes in musical instrument loans .

Learn more about all these great happenings at familyfirstny.com and 98pxy.com

Start looking for those pennies today!

2006-09-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

Get Pre-approved Before You Buy

2006-09-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Today, it is hard to imagine how any consumer can sort through the auto financing offerings available. From 0% on up, the temptation is there to buy a vehicle for the least amount of money. As we are bombarded on radio and TV with so called "huge" offers from dealers, there are some things to ponder.

First, 0% financing is usually anything but zero percent. I think the words speak for themselves. Our loan officers discuss this every day with our members.

Cash back, etc. have become staples in the car financing world, as well.
Our economy has brought forth novel concepts in terms of creative financing over the last few years.

It is clear that most of us need a vehicle of some sort to fulfill our lives. Just ask my 16 year old, and he will tell you so! The truth is, however that you need to know what you can afford to pay---before you walk on the dealers lot.

Our loan counselors make the vehicle loan application process quick and convenient, since the pre-approval process is a critical element. It's simple, you get pre-approved , then go to the dealer and let them know Family First FCU will take care of the rest.

Make the process painless, in one sense, visit us on line or at a branch and get pre-approved.Of course, you'll keep the pen, as well!

Good Call Victor

2006-07-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Victor Town Planning Board paused this week in regard to big box development. The case in point is somewhat moot....the development will go forward....but homeowners and commuters may get some relief.

The planning board decided to exercise its right to step back and look at the big picture in the plan for development along Route 96.Town planning boards are comprised of real people like you and me, not some group of radical refuges from the 60's.Most of the time towns have a devil of a time getting residents to serve on them...who wants to give up more of their Tuesday nights forever?

Point being, its regular people doing their job on your behalf, under the zoning laws in place. It is also a balancing act between what's best for the citizens and what's better for the towns tax coffers.

Victor is trying to achieve a balance as a community on the grow.The school district and its leadership have continually met these challenges in stride, and the town is trying to keep up.

In the end it usually is all about real estate and who controls it.But those who came first should get the opportunity to work with the board to effectively work together on the arrival of a new corporate resident, and set the timetable.
Retail services are the heart of Victors economy, and more will be on the way.
Housing starts and values, along with the school district, are the soul of the town.

Taking a little more time to sort things out won't hurt.

Heard on the street.....

2006-06-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Talking about real estate and sale prices in the Rochester region has always been high on the party conversation scale. Who is selling, who paid what, and where are they moving, have been at the center of the neighborhood grapevine.

Recent comments in various news outlets are also conversational in nature, and sometimes the individual making the comment , may not have thought out completely their string of thought.

For instance, a comment such as " homes are taking an average of six weeks to sell", may bring panic to a seller, and relief to a buyer. Generally we all want to get a pulse on the market, except if we are the ones selling or buying! There is enough pressure on the parties involved as it is, and hearing another opinion can send some sellers over the edge, for sure.

The Realtors I've considered as experts over the years, have all agreed on one thing consistently during every market up or down during the past twenty years----price it to sell and it will, quickly.
Generally , every house for sale will sell, given time. Time , however is the variable that does dictate price. Over the past five years, we all have become experts on real estate.

So, that aside, lets look at the reality factors. Realtors can be as patient as anyone when it comes to waiting. It's in their job description! Most would prefer not to wait, and good agents tell you that right up front. Price it right, on the first day, and let nature take its course.

Taking six weeks is the exception, but if you are a seller and you are in week seven, it's time to have that reality conversation.....With yourself first, and then with your Realtor.
In every housing market over time, homes have sold in an hour; on holidays; before the open house; and before the ink on the listing contract has dried.

Everyone wants to be a seller in the "next great real estate boom", and a buyer in the "down market". In the meantime, feel free to buy that dream home, preferably in less than six weeks!

It's Contagious

2006-06-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Like millions of other Americans, I spent part of the long Memorial Day weekend working on my landscaping.As usual, my annual "overdoing it" weekend was filled with mulch. Not your everyday mulch mind you, but triple ground black mulch, as it was called. It was really brown in color, but I'm sure there's a marketing person behind the name. My special 7 yards of mulch,was distributed evenly across my gardens, and by the second day of doing this, I noticed something had changed.

That morning , there seemed to be an effort by others in the neighborhood to really start redoing their landscaping as well. Their efforts were more in the mode of complete reconstruction, as I would call it , and I was impressed.

As I watched from our yard, I thought, this improvement stuff is really contagious! Although they may have been grumbling under their breath about my obsessive gardening, they were improving their property; their dream home; their investment; their life surroundings.

The impact of such a simple task adds immensely to their future as well.Homes appreciate in value because of many factors, but TLC , tender loving care, is a primary factor.Conversely lack of such attention even in a simple manner can lower your homes value.The "dressing up" of your home inside and out will increase your property's value, there is no doubt about it.

Doing it periodically during the change of seasons will save you time and energy when the time to move on comes.

I actually thought I would need more than 7 yards of mulch, but once I saw it piled high in our yard, I knew my mulch expert Scott was right.He also got to deliver more mulch to the neighbors.How contagious!

Specialty Sections

2006-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

As easily as we wander through the specialty sections of grocery stores such as Wegmans, we can now choose our own specially priced neighborhood to live in. How does that work?
In today's housing marketplace, experts predict some dramatic drops in housing values, or appreciation.....Depending on where your property is located. This is nothing new, really, but the model is changing dramatically. Take a look at the City of Rochester, for instance. Values may change overall, but certain areas will never lose value. The same can be said for other parts of Monroe County.

Housing has its own specialty sections of its own, that for many reasons will not have a downswings in value when the overall market is struggling. If you live in one of these areas, the odds are that a school, aesthetics, services or having a reputation as a great place to live has aided in this effort.
Some housing hotspots in places such as Florida and California are experiencing this right now.

Naples , Florida may be in a single digit appreciation mode, compared to the 25% attained each of the past two years, but certain million dollar neighborhoods still thrive.

Choose your specialty section wisely, do your research.

Once upon a rate...

2006-05-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Mr. Toads Wild Ride, also known as this weeks stock market, will have some impact on short term mortgage interest rates. The how and the long, however, remain to be seen.
Rates nudged up this week, in an unheroic fashion, as we await any pushback from the Federal Reserve.

In reality though, such small bumps in interest rates can not subdue the passion that comes with any homebuyer's search for a home. If you have not experienced this overwhelming positive feeling, you are not living! No increase of $30-$40 in a monthly mortgage payment, can beat back the feeling of success and happiness of finding the right home. Ask anyone who has done it.

Statistically speaking, in the Rochester region, consistency of the marketplace has been our trademark when it comes to homebuying and affordability.
The area remains in the top 30 regions for this distinction, according to several publications.

So what's your rate going to be?

Not Just in Springtime

2006-05-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

As the words go from the musical,"Camelot", "not just in Springtime, Summer Winter or Fall", so does the overpowering hope of homeownership in the Rochester region.As interest rates rose this week, the question remains, can the homeownership rate hit the 70% mark nationwide? Or, rather, will the bubble burst in short fashion in 2006?

What we have learned from our past housing booms is that there will also be one more on the horizon. The 1970's ,1980's and 1990's all saw boom and bust in some form during the decade, as each decade brought more homeownership.

How can this remarkable trend continue, you may ask? Take a look at the real numbers behind the numbers. The creation of more households than ever, combined with easy access to funds certainly does not hurt. The life experience of homeownership promulgates continued interest.
Would you prefer not to live in a house after spending most of your life in one? It's unlikely.

I have seen interest rates in my lifetime range from 3% to 18%, but I have also seen .29 gas prices. Now that's food for thought if you are hesitating on a home purchase today!