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Want to Sell Your House Fast?

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Drop the price!

The first two months of sales data in the greater Auburn, Washington tell the story perfectly — Want or Need to Sell Your Home Fast? — Drop The Price! Or at least price it within the range of those houses that are actually selling:

Granted, this little chart only shows three months of home sale activity in the greater Auburn area, but it clearly reflects that homes sell faster when they are nearer the lower end of the pricing spectrum.

Here you can see that the average home listing price is above $300,000, but the average price for home sales that actually closed (i.e., made it all the way to the exchange of keys!) was in the low-mid $200,000 range. It’s further telling that homes in those upper dollar amounts for Auburn, stay on the market longer than those than ultimately are priced in the lower $200’s — 100+ days compared to 58 days and 82 days.

It’s important to remember that “Solds” are a result of homes that went Pending 30-60 days prior.

So ……

Compare the number of days for houses that went pending in December to those that closed in February. For houses that sold in December, one would need to compare the days on market for those that went pending in October or November.

And I’m thinking that the closed prices in March will be higher too! Look at the pending $$ for February! (Yeah, I know, I get excited about these things ……………..)

Bank Rejected our Offer, Then Auctioned

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Sometimes the decisions of banks make absolutely no sense in the short sale world. The bank rejected a solid offer on this house, then auctioned it for significantly less money. Go figure.

With almost 2000 square feet, you’ll love this rambler home with step-up bonus room in Timber Hills! Walk through the front door to the living, dining, kitchen, family, and laundry rooms, plus three bedrooms.  In the master suite are an extra-long closet and recently updated ¾ bath with tile floor & walk-in shower.

Just four steps up and above the garage, is a huge 440 square foot bonus room, which could also be a very generous 4th bedroom with two deep walk-in closets. Don’t miss the pull-down attic stairs in the hallway leading to additional storage space! The home’s lower level is entirely comprised of an extra-deep double-door garage with openers, workbenches, shelves and storage.

Sliders just off the dining room lead to the fenced back yard, wonderful large deck with built-in benches, and patio. With minor repairs & new carpets, this home will be perfect for years of living. Offered as a short-sale property and priced to sell!

Welcome to Real Estate!

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While driving between appointments a couple days ago, I called my daughter to check up on grandbaby Tyler. The car and traffic was quiet and it was a nice break in an otherwise hectic day. After learning about the latest baby accomplishments, inevitably we drifted into what my day had been like and what I was up to at the moment. To me, it was just another day … going to a vacant listing to meet with a plumber after water was found all over the kitchen floor.

I was struck by her comment “Mom, you’re always out there taking care of other people’s houses. I can’t believe you do that. It seems like they should be doing this stuff themselves.” My response was “Welcome to Real Estate!”

Thinking back, my open-ended job description has changed significantly over the last two-three years. Is this a result of the “economy?” A result of my own changing standards and desire to be of help to folks? Or just laziness by allowing myself to get sucked-into agree to tasks that maybe could be delegated. Hmmmmmmm

Certainly my business profile has changed:

  • Most of the homes I list and market are vacant. Used to be they were almost never empty!
  • The majority of my listings are the result of financial distress on the part of their owners.
  • The majority of the Buyers I assist have never owned a home before.
  • Most of the Buyers are young, just starting out in their real estate ownership lives.
  • A significant chunk of my business (almost 40%) comes from internet exposure.
  • Nothing is fast — not the marketing time of a listing, nor the “finding a house and closing the sale” time with a Buyer.

So what does that mean to the actual “practice” of real estate?

Well, it means that my job description continues to evolve. Buyers don’t jump as fast at a great house — we have to see lots of houses. And then once a house is identified, an offer is accepted, inspections are negotiated and completed, the whole nightmare of completing all of the financing tasks comes into play. Let’s see, over the last half-dozen Buyer clients I’ve had to:

  • Run to a Buyer relative’s home to pick up copies of bank statements and send them to the loan officer. Why me? Well, the Buyers got called away on a family emergency and somebody had to do this now!
  • Go to the local IRS office to try to get copies of tax returns when an underwriter demanded real copies at the last minute.
  • Attended a oh dear! super fun septic inspection in the pouring rain only to find out that the pump didn’t work.
  • Negotiated payment for the septic repair over a period of a week and ran it around to all of the various parties because, gee, we were already a week past closing and the bank was threatening to pull our short sale approval.
  • And on and on ……….

Sellers generally need help. They need hand-holding. Some of them are desperate. Most are anxious:

  • I spent the better part of a day mucking out a garage and yard. Why? Well, it needed to be done and the Seller was totally unable.
  • Met repair people at vacant listings!
  • Helped move extra furniture out of the house and into storage because … well, I have a truck available and these two single gals had no idea what I meant when I said “pack!”
  • Supervised the cleaning of gutters
  • Picked up replacement locks and had them changed out.
  • Bought food for an abandoned fish pond and cleaned it out.
  • Above all, I’ve listened and listened and listened to their anxieties.

Now WHY should an agent bother with this? My response is always … because it has to be done. Somebody has to do this. To serve my clients well, the house needs to be sold/bought, they need help to be on their way to their next step in life, to be their ear, sometimes to encourage, sometimes to nag. To serve my clients, I am their trusted advisor, their “do-er,” the one to whom they look when there are snags along the way … and sometimes even after the transaction closes.

It all comes down to service. Real Estate is a service business.

Welcome to Real Estate!

Watch Your Credit Score If You Do a Loan Modification!

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This morning I was startled to read an article in RIS Media, an information service that scans the news services and gathers articles impacting real estate — for homeowners, buyers and for agents — reporting that Credit Scores are being reduced as much as 100 points for successful Loan Modifications!

Loan Modifications are one avenue that troubled homeowners can take when income levels drop or expenses skyrocket due to unexpected bills such as medical costs. There are a number of different combinations and types of loan modifications available, although I understand that very few loan modifications have actually been successful.

I try to keep an eye out for success stories and, indeed, I know of ONE family that was successful in their quest for lower monthly payments due to a layoff. It took months, lots of frustration, but ultimately they were able to drop their interest rate from the upper “sixes” to about 3%. I’ve talked with a number of potential clients … and now clients … also about their pursuit of loan modifications so that they were able to remain in their homes. These folks just weren’t able to push a loan mod through and finally gave up and listed their homes for sale. A couple actually decided to let the house go back to the bank through foreclosure.

So sad.

RIS reports that homeowners that ARE successful in negotiating a loan modification through private lenders are now finding credit score reductions up to 100 points! That’s certainly causes a significant impact on the homeowner’s ability to obtain future credit at a reasonable rate. Just imagine having a credit score of 750, successfully negotiating a loan modification on your home loan so that you can stay in your house … then finding yourself in a position where you must purchase a new car. Under the scenario RIS reports, your credit score could now be 650 — a real hinderence in obtaining a car loan with a reasonable interest rate!

According to the RIS report, the federal loan modification programs, Making Home Affordable and Home Affordable Modification Program, do not reduce credit scores as the transaction is reported to the credit agencies as a “loan modified under a federal plan” as of Nov. 1. However, if you modify your home loan through a private bank or other lender, your credit score could be impacted significantly.

Click Here to read the entire article … then pay attention: Watch Your Credit Score if You Do a Loan Modification!

 

Get Paid $6,500 to Buy a Home!

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Repeat or Move-Up Home Buyer — Get Paid $6,500 to Buy a Home!!

Repeat or Move-Up Home Buyer Tax Credit Eligibility Requirements:
  • Buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years and purchase a replacement primary home.
  • The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.  Applies to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
  • The tax credit is available for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010.  In cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the home purchase qualifies for the tax credit provided the sale is completed (closed) by June 30, 2010.
  • Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
Top 5 Reasons it is a Great Time for Repeat and/or Move-Up Buyers To Purchase a Home:
  1. You are buying a home today that doesn’t have inflated equity
  2. You don’t have to sell your current home to qualify for the Tax Credit (although you would need to qualify for both house payments, if applicable)
  3. You have sellers willing to pay your closing costs and possibly buy-down already great interest rates
  4. You are in the first true “Buyers” Market in nearly 8 years and have the largest selection of homes in 15 years
  5. The current downturn in house pricing as well as low interest rates could allow you to buy homes in neighborhoods that were out of reach two years ago
With rates at an all time low, inventory at an all time high, and a $6,500 tax credit…it’s a GREAT time to buy another home!  Call or email me today to take the first step!
Thanks to Michelle Coolidge of Cobalt Mortgage for this information!

Incredible Price, Beautiful View!

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Puget Sound View

WOW! Zero down & FREE closing costs with preferred lender & FHA & VA approved!

Unit 110 is a gorgeous VIEW Condo with fresh interiors & beautiful plush, Frieze carpets. Kitchen boasts tiled counters, dual sink, stainless appliances with built-in microwave. Designer paint, fireplace with tile surround and big white mantel. Huge bath with tiled counters & surround accessible from master bedroom and hallway. Really generous master bedroom includes walk-in closet.

Perfect for commuters! Seconds to I-5, 99 (Pacific Highway) & busline. One assigned parking, plus loads of guest parking; Covered carports available.

Get the 8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit. This is NOT a short sale or bank-owned property!

Three additional units are also available:

Unit 108, priced at $149,999, is also 2-bedrooms with a gorgeous view. Similar to unit 110, it features granite tile counters and stainless appliances in the kitchen.

Unit 107, priced at $137,500, is located on the front of the building and is just steps away from parking. It features a tiled kitchen and white appliances.

Unit 206 on the second floor, is a one bedroom unit with a VIEW priced amazingly at only $119,999! WOW! Tile counters and white appliances.

Call me @ 206.300.8421 to make an appointment to see all of these units — or your own agent, of course. Units are open most weekends from 1-5pm.

Courtesy of Lorene Bennet, RE/MAX Select R.E.

Will Short Sales FINALLY Become Reasonable?

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j0078820As a busy agent in the south King County area and down into the Tacoma/Puyallup Pierce County areas, I both list properties for Sellers and assist Buyers in finding their “dream home,” whether it be a first time purchase or a repeat purchase.

While definitely not unique to these geographic areas, price points and demographics of buyers and homeowners for these areas seem to especially target short sales and bank owned properties. Or maybe it’s just the clients with whom I’ve worked over the last few months. Sellers need to sell–usually as quickly as possible–and Buyers just want to move in.

In any event, short sales have been a problem. It seems as though it’s nearly impossible to get bank approval in anything less than 120 days … and then IF we get approval, the banks want us to close the transaction in no more than 30 days, another feat that’s becoming more and more difficult.

Back in May, 2009, President Obama indicated that he was pushing forward legislation that would drastically change the method and bank requirements by which short sales would be approved. This was aimed at shortening the time the banks would have to approve such transactions, along with helping a distressed seller by eliminating the “pay back the difference to the lender” clause that has been a real sticking point.

FINALLY, on Monday Reuters reported that the Treasury Department has now set guidelines to simplify short sales. I can’t tell you how excited “I” will be when this finally happens. And when the Banks step up and get their own internal procedures in place to accommodate these new guidelines.

I’m maintaining an “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude. It’ll be cause for rejoicing!!

AR Gay Sig

Just for Fun — 50 Strange Buildings

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wurm houseSome time ago I stumbled on a quirky little site, Random Web Site , that specializes in taking one to random sites, usually obscure. It’s a fun timewaster, but, of course, one has to be careful not to get too sidetracked (you know … that NEVER happens to me!) And, as you can imagine, browsing the Web at random sometimes leads one to the oddest things.

Now, before showing you these goofy buildings, you must know that I’m a pushover for houses and architecture. I mean, you know me! Always up to go see the newest subdivision, the biggest home show, the best in designer home tours!

Random Web site took me to see Village of Joy this morning! This fun and crazy Web site specializes is a very different look at buildings! What a step away from the usual mix of staid, ho-hum architecture!

So … without further adieu, visit Village of Joy’s 50 Strange Buildings of the World! Oh Yes! And while you’re there, visit their other links — I thought their 50 Weird and Crazy Cars post was a hoot too!

AR Gay Sig

5-Acre Mini-Ranch

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P1010358
Sale Pending!

Got horses, goats, alpacas, mini-beef?

Close to Auburn, Lake Tapps and city commuting, this five-acre mini-ranch is the best value in the neighborhood and perfect for your equestrian or other animal pastimes.

From the moment you enter the property through the remote-controlled gate, you’ll both be charmed by the thoughtful touches surrounding the house itself, and completely impressed by the two huge shops! There’s way too much to describe here, but consider that the flower beds are surrounded by poured concrete edges, there are numerous little water features, the house is surrounded by a walk-around deck, and entered through a wonderful covered porch. Step inside to a sun-lit entry (complete with a sun-tube), and then on to the generous formal living room/dining room combination, and a family room with a free-standing woodburning stove.

This home was well loved and it shows. Set up as a warm haven after working out on your own five-acre parcel, you’ll appreciate all the little touches that make this it truly a home. As you come in from the back into the mudroom, you’ll find plenty of places to stash the boots, even a built in window seat with storage. The kitchen is well appointed with new(er) black appliances and loads of cabinets.

The master bedroom has a huge walk-in closet complete with loads of wire shelves & storage units, and a five-piece bath with tiled double-sink vanity and soaking tub. The 2nd bedroom is just off the family room and also has private access to the 2nd full bathroom.

Outside are five fenced and cross-fenced, hot-wired acres plus two shops, RV-size carport, barn with hayloft, 2-horse (only one stall) loafing shed, well house, a fish pond, your own private well and septic system.

P1010272Barn measures 42′ x 50′

Hayloft 11′ x 50′

Five stalls (four with outside gates) with concrete pads

Three additional rooms on opposite side of stalls. Corner room is plumbed with utility sink

Extended covered storage on back and sides

1st shop

1st Shop as you enter the property

42′ x 24′, plus 12′ x 24′ attached carport, all with concrete floors

2 rollup doors with openers, plus one sliding door

Shop/storage room at one end

Pull-down ladder to additional loft storage

Insulated, 220V

2nd shop angle

2nd Shop, behind the house

36′ x 24′, plus shop bay

Insulated, 220V

Concrete floors throughout, plus parking pad

2 rollup doors & sliding door & barn doors

Edged by large kennel

 

Don’t You Love to Color?

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color butterfly

While working with some delightful clients a while back, I had a chance to interact with their two young daughters, Katy & Sarah. We let their Mom & Dad plow through some paperwork while we colored pictures and talked about playing on the computer.

Inspired, I decided to see what I could find that might be fun for them next time we had a chance to play! These sites look like SO much fun! 

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              • coloring.com   Oh this site is FUN with simple designs for the younger crowd! Click on a page to go to electronic coloring!
              • thekidzpage.com  This is  a flashy site with busy ads for all sorts of things for kids. The printable coloring pages are worth it though!
              • learn about the weather color pages by NOAA   Downloadable stories you can color about different types of weather … think Tornados, Thunderstorms, Snow!
              • color book links  WOW, this site contains links to tons of other sites that have .pdf  downloadable coloring pages! PERFECT!
              • Dover Publications  I get updates from Dover Publications periodically that show off their newest books. Most of them have sketch pages that can be downloaded and then colored. These are generally the high-end adult-type coloring pages for those of us that enjoy coloring with markers with lots of detail. Brings out the “kid” in all of us!
              • National Institute of Environmental Health  Okay, another site where the youngest of us can learn a bit about environment responsibility … these are fun pages that can also be colored online.
              • Crayola.com  Of course there has to be a page with a nod to our favorite crayons, right?

Okay, just one more … apparently there are hundreds of these sites. Who knew?

  • Coloring Pages for Kids  So here’s a resource references what looks like hundreds of other sites containing coloring pages. Have fun!

AR Gay Sig

8 Requirements for the New Homebuyer Tax Credit, Effective NOW!

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dont twiddle thumbsOkay all you first time homebuyers, you’ve been given a second chance! The Homebuyer Tax Credit passed and was signed into effect on Friday, November 6th! What GREAT news!

And it gets even better! Not only do first time homebuyers benefit from the tax credit … to the tune of $8,000! … any homebuyer could potentially benefit, up to $6,500!

Here are some of the highlights. Of course you’ll want to verify this information with your own accountant; as with most bills of this sort it’s many pages long and there are requirements that must be precisely met.

  1. A first time homebuyer is one that has not owned a home for at least three years.
  2. To qualify, a repeat homebuyer, must have owned their current home for at least five consecutive years out of the last eight years. So … imagine that you owned a home for at least five years, but sold it and have now been renting for the last two years. You qualify.
  3. If you’re a single person, you cannot earn more than $125,000; if you’re married, you can earn up to $250,000.
  4. You must be in a contract to purchase your new home on or before April 30th … but you have until June 30th to close the transaction.
  5. There’s no lag between the old deadline (November 30th) and the beginning of the new period … it’s as if the November 30th deadline never existed. The new deadline is April 30th (see #4).
  6. The maximum purchase price for your new home is $800,000.
  7. Your new house does not have to cost more than your last house. It’s okay to downsize!
  8. Oh yes! And as a measure to prevent fraud, you’ll have to attach proof of purchase to your tax return in order to qualify. I haven’t read the entire Bill, but I would anticipate that a copy of your final HUD (closing) statement will probably suffice. But do ask your tax accountant. They’ll know.

SO, Congratulations. Now, don’t twiddle your thumbs and let this run out AGAIN! Call me and let’s get shopping!!

AR Gay Sig

Not Buying? You’ll Still Benefit From the Home Buyer Tax Credit!

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pay with credit cardSince the beginning of 2009, first time homebuyers have benefited from an $8,000 gift directly from Uncle Sam. Qualifying for the gift was easy and thousands of people benefited.

As I write this, plans are in place to extend and modify the tax credit into next Spring (thank heavens), which will continue to help economic recovery for more folks than just those stepping up to purchase a home.

I’ve been amazed while hearing our various elected officials and economists speak shortsightedly, in my opinion, about why the tax credit should not be extended, nor should have been in place to begin with. I absolutely agree that the tax credit has a huge price tag. However, let’s think very briefly about what that tax credit is actually buying.

Just help buying a house? Hardly!

Think back to your last move, whether it was a house, an apartment, back to mom’s, wherever. What was the first thing you did? I can tell you what I did … picked up my wallet and headed straight to the store. I needed STUFF — boxes, moving supplies, shelf liner, paint, curtains, towels, furniture — STUFF!

That’s where the money goes. Not just in a pocket or frankly, not just back in a savings account. Is $8,000 too much? Did I buy $8,000 worth of stuff? Oh yes. And much more. Had I been given the $8,000 as a gift from my last move, my house credit card might not have been maxed out!

Homebuyer’s Tax Credit Has NOT Yet Passed — Not Quite!

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As I write this at 4:45 PDT, our local news station, along with several lenders and title companies are reporting that the Homebuyer’s Tax Credit has passed and will be extended to April 2010.

While that’s GREAT news, it’s not quite right yet, from what I can see.

Looks like the Senate has agreed to pass a resolution that would extend the $8,000 tax credit to First Time Homebuyers, a $6,500 tax credit for repeat homebuyers, both with qualifying issues.

However, a vote hasn’t actually taken place that passes the resolution as a stand-alone bill. At the moment, it’s hung up on the premise that it’ll be tagged onto legislation to extend unemployment benefits, although it appears that it’ll pass the Senate even as a stand-alone bill.

Read more at my favorite site: Reuters.

I’m holding off the celebration until it’s signed around! And I’ll be the first to let you know — that way we can ALL celebrate!AR Gay Sig

Senate Activity on Extending the $8k Tax Credit

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j0382678Like almost everyone I know that works in the housing industry, I’ve been chasing myself around for the last few weeks trying to get all of the First Time Homebuyers in my client list qualified and under contract so that they were eligible for the $8,000 tax credit … due to expire on November 30th. It’s been a wild ride, full of both elation and disappointment!

And, of course, absolutely full of the question “Will it be extended?”

I’ve been diligently trying to follow along with activities in the legislature while listening to other opinions about why it will and why it won’t and who thinks it’s a great idea and who thinks it’ll continue to bankrupt us all.

Reuters is one of my favorite places to find quality news feeds–in this case current activity on extending the $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers.

Yesterday, Reuters reported that Bill Nelson (Dem.) of the Senate Finance Committee indicated that the Senate would act this week on the tax credit and that it would likely be extended for a “limited” period.

Then the stock market reacted negatively later in the day to a report that it would not be.

This morning, Reuters posted another story complete with Q&A about another proposal being floated through the Senate by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat. In their scenario, the credit would be extended to the end of 2010, but would be phased out in $2,000 decreases beginning in April, then again in July and in October.

Now, at the moment, I kinda like this proposal. And I like the idea that it carries into the Spring, where house purchases and sales tend to begin rallying all by themselves.

bd06916_My only issue with their proposal is that it’s being attached to the passage of another bill for unemployment insurance benefits. Sigh. Seems like it’d be so much easier to keep track of things if each expenditure had to stand on its own.

I’m sure tomorrow there’ll be yet more ups and downs about whether the $8,000 tax credit will be extended, or buried. Passage will be cause for celebration, in my opinion. Of course, then the bill will need to go on to the House, where, no doubt, it’ll be changed yet again. Back and forth.

Just my 2¢ worth!

 

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Don’t Move Money Around

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money bagI sometimes hear frustration from buyers who are being asked to produce the papertrail that supports the source of the  money being used for the downpayment and closing costs. The underwriter (the person that issues final approval for your loan) requires this information as one method of eliminating the possiblity of fraud, to meet the requirements of investors with whom they work, and for quality control. They’re just doing their job, but sometimes meeting this requirement is difficult and tedious.

You may have  been diligently consolidating money from various accounts so that it’s easier to manage, but this can actually cause more loan approval challenges.

During the time you’re working on purchasing a home, or at least for the prior three months or so, don’t move money around unnecessarily. The underwriter will require documentation of any large deposits or withdrawals from your account. This could include money you received as gifts, from transferring funds between accounts, investment liquidations, cashing out mutual funds, retirement funds, or whatever. You may be asked for copies of cancelled checks, deposit receipts, or other supporting documents that may see inconsequential.

If you’re relying on gift monies that will be used in your purchase in any fashion, you’ll likely also be required to produce a letter from the person giving you the money that documents the fact that you are not required to repay the gift. In fact, the person from whom you’re receiving the money may also need to produce copies of bank statements, etc., that documents where they received your gift money.

In fact, this is also not the best time to be changing banks, or even opening new accounts.

Don’t move your money around … or if you do, be absolutely certain you can document everything thoroughly.

AR Gay Sig

Dear Buyer … Please Quit Spending!

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spending moneySigh, it’s happened yet again. Somehow no matter how much counseling, another Buyer’s forgotten one of the golden rules of buying a house: If you spend money on credit cards, buy a new major appliance on credit, buy a new car, decided to furnish your new home before closing … you run the risk of not qualifying for your loan. Even if you qualified before you ever started shopping.

There’s nothing more disheartening to find the home of your dreams, go through all the steps … qualify and be preapproved for your loan, inspection, title searches, negotiations, etc., … and then find out just before closing that, yes, the underwriter reviewed that last credit report only to find an additional new monthly payments

OH NO! There’s a new credit line that blows the debt to income ratios totally apart.

Yes, sometimes life gets in the way of judicious decisious during the period of time between making application for a home loan and closing. And some Buyers have sufficient income and are shopping far enough below their top qualifying number to sustain an extra monthly payment, but typically not.

Not only are your credit scores, credit history, and monthly debts examined at the time application is made, they’re checked again right before closing to be sure no significant changes have occurred. Qualifying for a mortgage is difficult right now. Hang on just a few more weeks. Wait until after closing.

There’s a Certain Peacefulness About Owning a Home

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DahliasI just came back in the house and to my home office desk. The weather is gorgeous — clear blue sky and the garden just called for a quick walk through. Picked a few dahlias and stuff to put in a vase on my desk.

Such peacefulness.

Yes, I know that owning a home is tremendous commitment. It’s hard, daggone it! Like many of you, we’re close to being upside down on our house. We bought right in the middle of the 2005 upswing of prices. Four plus years later, we’re back to where we started.

At least once a week I walk through the house and the yard and mutter about all of the remodeling that’s still undone. And bemoan the hundreds … make that thousands… of dollars we’ve spent on it thus far. With thousands yet to be spent.

Sometimes we make mistakes in our home choices. Sometimes we’ve spent too much or picked the wrong neighbors or painted the walls the wrong colors. Sometimes we just flat out can’t afford our choice due to circumstances beyond our own control. Sometimes we have to face up to those mistakes and start over.

Every seller I’ve helped sell that had to sell for one reason or another–not just because they wanted a bigger or better house but because financially the house just didn’t work for them–told me they couldn’t wait to buy another one.

Homeownership IS a tremendous responsibility. But the Buyers with whom I work constantly remind me just how important it is to have one’s own space. How badly they want it . It’s an American obsession this desire to own a home. To be able to walk about one’s own rooms or yard and look about.

There’s a certain peacefulness about owning a home. I’m hooked. The dahlias are calling.

Impact of King County Furlough Days on First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

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j0433136I received a message late last week from one of my helpful resource folks, Garrett Huffman of the Master Builder’s Association, regarding real estate closings and King County furlough days.

Earlier this year I posted a blog entry listing the days various King County offices would be closed in an effort to help minimize budget overruns. One of the most troublesome dates on the list is scheduled furlough for November 25th … just 5 days prior to the end of the First Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit, as it is currently defined. Add in the typical Thanksgiving holidays of November 26-27, the last week of November has generally been deemed a write-off as far as getting transactions closed.

According to Garrett, the folks at King County have taken into account the general “panic” that may WILL occur by folks trying to get transactions recorded so as to qualify Buyers for their tax credit.

I have a couple of transactions that are looking like last minute closings too. YIKES!

The Master Builder Association has been working hard to be sure that last minute transactions are recorded on time. Here’s what they’re reporting:

“King County has been very responsive to our association’s concern regarding a furlough day planned at the county in late November. To make sure that the home sales to first time homebuyers close by Nov. 30 and are therefore able to qualify for the federal first-time homebuyer tax credit, the Recorder’s office is taking the following action:

  • King County plans to have 15 employees in the Recorder’s Office designated as furlough ineligible and therefore able to work overtime during Thanksgiving week.
  • These designated staff will work overtime on Monday, Nov. 23 until all documents are recorded.
  • On Tuesday, Nov. 24 the Recording Office will start at 7:15 a.m. and stay late until everything is recorded.
  • They will have a team of seven recorders on stand-by to work on Wednesday, Nov. 25 should there be any additional work not completed on Tuesday.
  • The office will not be open to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and would not receive any additional documents.

In addition, we have requested that King County be prepared for Recording office staff to work overtime on Monday, Nov. 30, to help ensure that all sales are recorded and no first time homebuyer will miss the tax credit deadline.

Thank you, Garrett for such great information!

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Happy Thanksgiving to My Canadian Friends!

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roast turkey

 

May you be surrounded by friends and family …

and may you be full of good things … like TURKEY!

and may you find a comfy chair afterwards to nap it all off!

 

 

 

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Still on the Fence? — 10 Reasons to Get Moving!

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Town Crier

I know, I’m a broken record. Buy now. Don’t wait. Get going. Don’t look back on 2009 as the year you “should have” bought and didn’t. Here are 10 reasons why you may not want to wait any longer to buy a new home:

  1. 1.   The number of houses available from which you can choose is staggering. Just a few years ago Buyers had to choose from a handful of houses in their price range. Not so much right now. There are a lot of houses in inventory!

    2.  

  2. 2.   In fact, you can take your time (a little bit!!). Generally at least long enough to go home and have dinner and talk to Mom and Dad. Again, just a very short time ago, houses were selling so fast with multiple offers that folks were writing up offers on the hood of the car just outside the house. (Oh yes, I remember!) Now, you don’t want to take too much time (hence the title to this blog entry) and lose out, but at least you can breathe a little! 

    3.  

  3. Yes, I know that for many first-time buyers, it seems as though the best houses out there are short sales. And they take forever to close. And some don’t! But some do! The trick here is to make offers on several short sale houses. It’s all a numbers game. ONE of them will be approved and close.

    4.  

  4. There are also a lot of savvy sellers that have figured out the pricing game — price it right and the house will sell! Work with a qualified agent to help get through all of the hundred or so steps it takes to actually close on a sale. (It IS complicated right now!)

    5.  

  5. There are also a ton of bank-ownedproperties. Most banks are aggressively pricing their foreclosure inventory. They want those houses gone! Believe it or not, some of those properties are getting multiple offers as asking prices are so low.

    6.  

  6. Tax credit. Yep … more on the $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit. No word yet as to whether this will be extended. There are a lot of proposals, lots of talk in Congress to extend the credit and perhaps even increase the amount. But nothing’s been done and I sure wouldn’t want to miss out on this golden opportunity. $8,000 is a LOT of money. Think of the “fixing up” you could do with that amount! I mean, every house has something you’ll want to change or improve or paint or fence or …..

    7.  

  7. Loan qualifications are more stringent. Yes, that IS a reason to get off the fence: when all is said and done you’ll be more secure in your ability to make your payments. Compared to last year, and the year before that and the year before that … it truly is harder to qualify and go through all of the steps to get a mortgage. But in the long run, that’s probably better for you as a Buyer.

    8.  

  8. Mortgage loan programs are amazing too! I work with a number of excellent loan officers. Bless them, they regularly call and/or send me messages telling me about various programs they have available. For example, my contact at Bank of America last week helped me understand one of the FHA ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) they use. Now, I know that ARMs have received a terrible rap over the year or so. After all, the deal is that people got in over their heads in payments when the rates adjusted. But good grief … common sense prevails … and with a program like the FHA 5/1 ARM he described, it’s hard to go too far wrong: 3.75% for the first five years; the rate can adjust up or down no more than 1% a year … and it caps at 5% … 5% for the remaining life of the loan! Wish we were buying now … that’s AMAZING!

    9.  

  9. Perhaps you truly HAVE saved enough for a down payment. One of the common reasons I hear for waiting is that they Buyers haven’t saved up enough down payment to bring their payment down to their comfort level. That’s a bit of a two-edged sword. It seems logical. But here’s some information sent to me by another loan officer today:

    10.  

    Next year, the rates could be at 6.5%, which is far more “normal” than the extreme lows we are seeing at 5.0%.  This rate of 6.5% would take the monthly payment on a $300,000 loan up to $1896.20 per month (P&I).  That equates to a difference of $285.74 per month in mortgage payment.  Follow me here……  That $285.74 per month is the same as $57,000 in purchasing power.  This means that if someone is qualified at $300,000 at a 5.0% rate today, next year, if rates increase to 6.5%, that same buyer will only qualify up to $243,000.  Spread this information to your buyers who are “on the fence”.  Money is cheap right now but won’t be that way forever.”

    “In today’s market, with a loan amount of $300,000 and an interest rate of 5.0%, the monthly payment would be $1610.46 P&I.

    Downpayment can be as low as 3.5% of the purchase price when using an FHA loan, or even zero percent if you are buying a qualified USDA house. (That’s a home in a designated rural area.) Actually, there are a few other zero percent loans, too. School teachers police and fire officers all have some special programs available.

  10. And finally, interest rates continue at record lows. You may have heard this before: A loan less than 8% is amazing. I remember buying at 17% back in the 1983. Yikes! But we did it and we made the payment. Of course we refinanced as soon as possible too. I’m told that interest rates right now are hovering right around 5%. 

So … have I convinced you? Or at least given you a bit more to think about? 

If you’ll forgive me for sounding a bit like a the local town crier: It truly IS Time to Get Off the Fence! It just doesn’t get … and may not get … any better than NOW!

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The Importance of a GREAT Home Inspector

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Home InspectionA good home inspection, in my opinion, is so much more than just a thorough “systems” check.

As an active agent representing both Buyers and Sellers, I’ve had sales go “south” due to bad inspectors (not bad “inspections!”). After all, the inspector really can influence the type of decisions that a client/buyer/seller must make. They can scare them off by emphasizing things that perhaps are just future maintenance items, or can de-emphasize items that can be chronic issues.

For example, I’ve had inspections done by potential Buyers for a listing of mine, that backed out because a gutter was leaking. I’ve had inspectors tell us that a hot water heater was at the end of its useful life when it was less than seven years old. And then I’ve had wonderful inspectors that truly help a Buyer understand that just because the linoleum floor has a small split doesn’t mean the house is falling apart around them.

A good inspector is gold. They can truly help support a transaction and they can truly be an asset to a Buyer. I encourage inspections for every single purchase — whether new construction or a 50-year-old home. There’s always something and being informed is priceless.

Be absolutely certain that the home inspector you choose is certified and licensed! 

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Pre-Listing Inspections

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House ChecklistIn this trickier market, it can be imperative in the eyes of a Buyer that the house in which they’ve fallen in love be in “perfect” condition. Now, granted there’s absolutely no such thing as a house in “perfect” condition, but a house where it’s obvious that the Seller has taken good care of the property and truly gotten the house in tip-top shape as it goes on the market, can truly make or break a Buyer’s decision to make an offer. After all … there’s another house on the market just down the street — sometimes for less money.

I’ve begun emphasizing the importance of a pre-listing inspection to my clients, the Sellers. Learning about and taking care of all the little things makes a home just that much more attractive to a potential Buyer. And heavens, we certainly want to hang on to those Buyers right now!

When a Seller can show a potential Buyer a fully-checked-off inspection list, that’s a tremendous selling point and benefit.

As always, be absolutely certain that the Inspector you choose is property certified and licensed!

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SOLD — Beach Rights Included!

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sold

Drive to the end of a culdesac and in to your attached two-car garage—then walk straight in to your new home. There are no stairs at any entrance! Even better, these easy-care duplex-style condos are just up the path from the private Lake Meridian Village beach with its tennis court, cabana, and picnic tables.

Once inside, the huge high vaulted ceiling and new vinyl windows bathe the living and dining areas with natural light; even the kitchen is light, bright and open!. Quiet mornings can be spent in the beautifully landscaped and fenced backyard with its soothing pond and patio. Three bedrooms, 2 baths and laundry area round out the essentials.

Lake Meridian Village provides the best in comfortable living! Well maintained and managed, the siding, roofs, and windows have all been recently updated. Make an appointment to see what the best in lakefront living is all about!