[Your]

[Your]

homeWinter 2012

Project Green:Earth-Friendly Home

Improvement Ideas

[Team Sample] [Line 2][1234 Simple Street, City, TX 12345][555-555-1234][teamsample@metlifehomeloans.com][www.metlifehomeloans.com/ourbranchxxxxxxx][Line 7][We will be glad to assist you again.][Line 9][Line 10][Line 11][Line 12][Line 13][Line 14][Line 15]

All loans subject to approval. Certain conditions and fees may apply. Mortgage financing provided by MetLife Home Loans, a division of MetLife Bank, N.A. Equal Housing Lender. All articles and opinions in this newsletter are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific recommendations for an individual. If you have comments regarding this publication, contact National Marketing at 214-441-5033. Entire publication ©2012 METLIFE, INC. L1111219504[exp1112][All States][DC] © 2012 PNTS NMLS ID XXXXX

HOMEPLACE Information just for [<Name>

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[Dear Name & Name],

We hope you’ve been enjoying the winter holiday season. Despite everything that’s

taking place during these traditionally busy months, we often find ourselves looking

to the future with excitement. Spring is the time of year when many people who are

thinking about buying a new home begin to shop around and consider their choices.

That includes considering the type of financing they want. As MetLife Home Loans

Mortgage Consultants, we’d like to help you get an early start. By identifying your

mortgage needs and options before spring arrives, you can prepare for the next step

in your life now and focus more clearly on your future goals.

As you may know, mortgage rates have recently fallen to levels not seen in many

years. Together, we can discuss how you might be able to match your priorities with

the financing opportunities available in today’s market.

Whether you have questions about qualifying for a mortgage or determining which

loan term makes the most sense for you, we can provide valuable answers. So if

you have any questions about how to lay the groundwork for purchasing your next

home, please contact us soon.

Team Sample[Team Sample]

[contact info]

[P.S. Happy Birthday] [Name!]

If you’re in the market for a new home, whether you’re

considering moving up or downsizing, be sure to ask us

about a complimentary loan pre-qualification* to help

you locate homes within your price range.

*A pre-qualification is not an approval of credit and does

not signify that underwriting requirements have been met.

homeFRONThomeFRONT

VOCs. Untreated, kiln-dried lumber may

be one solution. When buying VOC-free

paint, however, remember that potentially

dangerous VOCs may be introduced when

color pigmentation is added.

Choose Wood WiselyWood from threatened forests or plant species

may not deserve a place in your home. Instead,

consider wood such as bamboo, which grows

quickly and is relatively abundant. Also look

for wood that is certified—by organizations

such as the Forest Stewardship Council—as

having been managed and harvested under

strict environmental guidelines.

Skip a Trip to the LandfillWhenever possible, try to recycle or creatively

reuse materials you remove from your home

rather than dump them in landfills. Your trash

could literally become someone else’s treasure.

For example, Habitat for Humanity operates

stores in most states that sell donated

household goods in order to generate money

for the construction of local Habitat homes.

Known as ReStore resale outlets, they accept

donations of “gently used” home appliances,

accessories, furniture and building materials.

(To learn more, visit the Habitat for Humanity

website at http://www.habitat.org/restores).

If new carpets are part of your plan, think

about working with a dealer affiliated with

CARE—the Carpet America Recovery Effort.

As you contemplate pet adoption, be sure

to ponder several important considerations,

including:

The Right ChoiceYour lifestyle, personality and household

space should influence your choice of pet.

With that in mind, the ASPCA sponsors

a “Meet Your Match” program to help

potential adopters zero in on their ideal pet. Each adoptable cat or dog in a

participating shelter is assessed based on its behavior and then assigned to

a color-coded category. Adopters fill out questionnaires about themselves and

are also assigned a color. You aren’t required to pick a pet with a matching

color, but the system is designed to make your decision easier.

The age of family members in your

household is also important. Families

with toddlers may want to wait until

the children are old enough to feel

comfortable with a pet and help

take care of it.

Determining ResponsibilitiesWho will feed and clean up after your

new pet? Will your dog be taken for

a walk on a regular basis? Who will

schedule trips to the veterinarian?

These questions need to be answered

before you adopt. Cost is also a

factor. The ASPCA estimates that

you’ll need to spend more than

$1,000 during the first year of

owning an adopted cat. For dog

owners, costs can exceed $1,800.

Project Green:Earth-Friendly Home Improvement Ideas

Gone are the days when making your home greener simply involved applying a fresh coat of emerald-colored paint. Today, green home projects can spruce up your living space, make it healthier and do less harm to the environment.

Your referrals are greatly appreciated!

All About Adopting Animals

Before you roll up your sleeves to begin a new

project around the house, consider some of the

strategies and benefits associated with green

practices for home renovations, such as:

Use Recycled Materials Whether you’re planning to remodel a kitchen,

repave a driveway, hang new doors or refurbish

a deck, recycled materials can prove to be as

stylish as they are durable and earth-friendly.

Consider installing attractive kitchen tiles

made from recycled glass. Give your driveway

new life with pavers made from old car tires.

If you want a low-maintenance new deck that

won’t contribute to deforestation, look around

for supplies made from reclaimed plastic

shopping bags, sawdust or scrap wood. You

can even find unique doors and window frames

built from wood once used in the construction

of old barns, fences and factories. Natural fiber

insulation, made primarily from recycled

content, is ideal for minimizing energy loss.

Reduce Fumes in Your RoomsVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are

potentially unhealthy chemicals emitted from

many products commonly used in home

renovations, such as paint, paint strippers,

varnishes and adhesives.

With that in mind, shop for items that are

labeled as containing low—or no—levels of

A nonprofit organization devoted to

increasing carpet recycling and developing

products made from used carpets,

CARE is affiliated with more than 200

dealers nationwide. Together, they’ve

helped keep more than two billion

pounds of carpet out of landfills since

2002. (For more information, visit http://

www.carpetrecovery.org/dealer-list.cfm).

Whatever your next project may be, green

strategies can help improve your home

without harming your environment.

If you’re thinking about bringing a new pet into your home, think about adopting one. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), as many as 20% of the nation’s pet dogs and cats were adopted from a shelter or rescue center—about twice the number that were purchased from pet stores.

The winter holidays may be a favorite time of year, but the shorter, darker, colder days that accompany the season aren’t always a lot of fun. Yet there are several easy—and enjoyable—ways you can energize your home and life this winter, including:

Getting Active Rather than hibernate, invigorate yourself by increasing your level of physical activity. You don’t need to be a fan of outdoor winter sports to exercise more and feel better. Signing up for a yoga class, dance lessons or a workout program at the local gym will get you moving just as effectively.

VolunteeringHelping others is one of the best ways to feel better about yourself and your community. Opportunities in your area may include helping out at the local library, tutoring school kids and organizing food or clothing drives for those in need. You may also derive satisfaction from clearing snow and ice for elderly neighbors, delivering meals to the disabled or reading books to patients in the local hospital.

Planning Ahead for SpringGet a head start on your spring cleaning now. By the time the weather improves, you’ll probably prefer to be outside, not working indoors. Set aside an hour or two each week to organize closets, tidy up the basement or go through some of those old boxes up in the attic. This is also a great time to start planning your garden. If you order seeds and lay out your garden design now, you’ll be able to dig right in when spring arrives.

Brighten Up Your HomeNatural sunlight is limited this time of year, so make the most of it. Open curtains and raise blinds. Sit near windows when you eat or read. You may also want to supplement the sunshine by installing brighter, high-efficiency light bulbs. Consider livening up a drab room with a paint job, bright new wall decorations or colorful plants that thrive this time of year.

Beating the Winter

Blahs

[Team Sample]

For additional insights on green living, visit our website

at <www.metlifehomeloans.com/mybranchxxxxxxx>.

To learn how to stay safe when you head outdoors this winter, visit our website at <www.metlifehomeloans.com/mybranchxxxxxxx>.

For tips on getting your home ready for a new pet, visit our website at <www.metlifehomeloans.com/mybranchxxxxxxx>.

A Look at Local InitiativesSeveral state and local governments now have policies and resources designed to encourage homeowners to embrace green practices and technologies. For example …

The Sonoma County (California) Energy Independence Program offers loans to help fund improvements that will lead to energy savings at home.

In Washington state, the King County/Seattle Built Green Incentive provides up to $10,000 to help offset the cost of green home improvement projects.

In Clackamas County, Oregon, programs offered by Energize Clackamas County provide cash incentives and education for residents planning to make energy-efficient home improvements.

There are animal shelters all over the country with pets awaiting adoption, including:

• Ace of Hearts in Beverly Hills, California

• Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society in Santa Fe, New Mexico

• Animal Talk Rescue in Seattle, Washington

Visit one soon. You just may find the perfect pet.

AQ

A S K T H E E X P E R T

home

This is a recyclable product.

[BAR CODEXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX] [USPS Endorsement Line] [Name1] [Name2] [Company] [Address] [Address] [City, STATE ZIP]

What does my credit report say about me?

Your credit report helps others decide if you are a good credit risk. Credit reporting agencies, also known as credit bureaus, gather detailed information about how you have used credit. Businesses that grant credit regularly supply credit information to credit bureaus. Credit bureaus then compile this information into credit reports, which are sold to banks, credit card companies, mortgage lenders and others who grant credit.

A variety of information is likely to appear in your credit report, including a list of parties who have requested your credit history in the past as well as a list of the debts you have, how long you’ve had them and their repayment terms. Your credit report may also include details about how many times you’ve been delinquent in making payments. In addition, your credit report might contain facts about old debts from your past, including accounts that you closed, charge-offs for unpaid bills, liens, bankruptcies, foreclosures and court judgments against you for money owed.

Your credit score, on the other hand, is a number that lenders use to gauge how likely you are to repay debts on time. It is derived from information compiled in a credit report.

Team Sample[Name] [Phone]