Today the keys we give you are not keys to your new home, or even keys to understanding your mortgage, but we submit to you, the Palm State Mortgage Keys To Your Summer Holiday Safety! Boom! Pop! ZZZZZing! Soon the fireworks of Independence Day 2013 will be history. AT Palm State, we know the safety requirements of any summer holiday remain as timeless as these special events themselves. We of Palm State Mortgage hope you will have, or have had, a wonderful July 4 holiday. So, we depart from our usual financial information, to bring you the following special keys!

Although July 4 is a much anticipated holiday time for friends and family, it is also the deadliest of all the holidays for drivers, in Florida, or any Hometown, U.S.A. We join the Florida Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies everywhere by presenting you with our Five Keys To Surviving Summer Week-end Holidays. We provide them in the hope of keeping you safe for any of your holiday events or trips.

First: Respect The Blaze!

We are sorry to report that on July 27, 19 firemen died fighting a wild fire in Arizona. They were professionals, and they were heroes. Such terrible fatalities prove what an unpredictable element fire can be. Do you know what you would do if cinders blew from your barbecue pit and caught your back porch or roof on fire? What if a rambunctious child or dog knocked the barbeque grill over and caught your yard on fire? What if that whole can of fire-starter fluid overheats and explodes?
Did you know that July is National Grilling Month? Enjoy it, but remember it is fire. We know you put hard work into paying those mortgage bills and we just don’t want to see it go up in smoke.

Second: A Dark Cloud On July Fourth

Did you know? 29 Floridians will not be celebrating this July fourth. There will be no picnic or barbeque for them because they were killed in crashes on Florida roads in 2011. Making plans to drive to your destination a day early or arrive leave for home a day late can keep you out of the worst of the traffic rush.

Third: Fast and Furious Only Works In Movies!

Do not “feel the need for speed.! Life is not an action movie. There are no dress rehearsals or stuntmen; speed kills. Palm State Mortgages recommends you drive the speed limit. We also believe common sense should tell you to slow down if traffic is congested, or a sudden summer rainstorm hits the highway. A simple key to safety is to stick to the speed limit.

Fourth: Have Your Own Party!

We are so proud that some of you have traded hassling with holiday gridlock for having a party in your own backyard. If you are the host or hostess, here is another tip: Close the bar an hour before the party begins to break up. Think how guilty you would feel if one of your guests left your home and crashed his car because you gave him “one for the road.”

Fifth: Have Coffee, Soda or Punch Instead of a DUI!

Last year the Florida Highway Patrol arrested 90 drivers who were “under the influence.” Do not be one of the “ninety” this year!

Did you know?

As a last resort, if you are driving your own car and realize, and you are too tipsy to be behind the wheel, just call 885-2-TOW-2-GO (855-286-9246), and AAA will give you a free tow home, as a public safety service.

Palm State Mortgage hopes you enjoy these Summer Safety Tips, and we wish you a happy home, a great summer holiday, and a perfect mortgage.  Let’s use the entire month of July to celebrate America’s birthday!

Special Note: News Flash About Past-due Mortgages!

Now that we have given you your holiday survival tips, it’s back to financial news developments next week! We must end this blog with a news flash concerning past-due mortgages: “The frequency of past-due mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is dropping.” Watch this blog next week for all the details, and learn about the latest statistics in the Federal Housing Finance Agency report!