A picture is worth a thousand words

These pictures show PROOF of a Recovering housing market!  The pictures were taken yesterday in Jupiter Florida.  It made me smile and I wanted to share it with you.  The Sun Sentinel Reported a 20% growth in the new homes market for Palm Beach County and the proof is in the building.  Let's get started finding you the perfect home.

Holidays for reflection

Today is a typical, although not frequent, holiday day off for me.  I am spending the day, catching up on cleaning and laundry, but decided that I needed to "clean" my thoughts as well.  I keep saying the Real Estate Market is improving, and I can say from a personal point of view that it is true.  My listing of a 5,334 sq ft estate in Steeplechase closed last month, and I am pleased to say it was a win-win for both buyer and seller.  I have a Short Sale in Lake Worth.... a charming 2 bedroom 1 bath with a large yard blocks from the water that has only been on the market for a week, and I just received a contract on it!
My belief is that people are tired of all the bad news in the paper, and are also tired of putting their lives on hold.  They are buying new cars and buying new homes!

It is time to clear the clutter from our homes and heads, make a plan on where you want to live in 6 months, and call me to help you get there.

"What is the Biggest Mistake Sellers Make in Today's Real Estate Market?"

I was speaking with a nationwide top real estate agent the other day. During our conversation, I asked him, "What is the biggest mistake that you see sellers make in today's real estate market?"

His answer blew me away because it seems so easy to avoid. He said the biggest mistake he sees people make is not making a counteroffer on purchase offers they deny.

He said it is critical for sellers to not take offense to a buyer's offer and completely forget about them.

Instead, try to come to an agreement with an offer of your own that is below what you are asking and above what they offer. While this seems like such an obvious answer, he said many people just ignore a real low offer. That is a HUGE MISTAKE!

Frequently a buyer comes in at a low price on the first offer just to see what will happen, even if they are prepared to pay full price.

It is so important to keep the lines of communication open. Communication is the secret to success in all relationships.

Just remember that you have somebody that has seen your house and wants to buy it. Obviously they want to pay as little as possible, you want them to pay as much as possible, and that's why they call it negotiations. Counteroffers can be a great way to sell and buy a home.

(reposted with permission from Daniel at Elite Lending)

It has been a great week!

Wow, There has been so much good news this week.

Regarding the economy, 3 big areas all posted positive news this week.

Unemployment dropped to 8.3%.

The housing Market update is also positive: The mortgage rate on a Fixed Rate Mortgage dropped to 3.87%, and many of the nations top home builders said they feel the housing market has stabilized.

and another great economic indicator is Auto sales: Chrysler Group LLC reported a hefty 44-percent gain in U.S. auto sales in January, led by its Jeep brand, while Ford Motor Co posted a 7 percent gain.

This is a great way to go into the weekend. As I keep saying, now is the time to buy or sell your home. Please call me to discuss your options.

10 Surprising Reasons You Can’t Get a Home

Getting a home signifies financial security and an investment for the future. Owning a home is part of the American Dream. There are some surprising reasons why you can’t get a home.

1. Down Payment – You may have the required 10%-25% on the asking price of the home you are interested in but how you acquired it and how long you’ve had it could keep you from getting the home. Many times relatives offer young couples the down payment. Lending institutions take this into consideration when looking at the ability of a homeowner to keep up with mortgage payments. Saving the down payment over time lends to the credibility of money management.
2. Credit– Credit history is an ongoing process. Student loans are one of the first obligations a person may have as an adult. Late payments may have a bearing on your ability to acquire a home later in life. Credit scores are also affected by utility payments. Any recurring bill that is paid late may come back to haunt you even though your financial situation is now more sound. Your debt to income ratio ideally needs to be under 45%. Less than a 3 month asset reserve in a bank account will generally keep you from getting a home. Check your credit score with all 3 agencies and make sure there is nothing being reported incorrectly. You need to aim for a score of 660 or better.
3. Job Security – Your job history may be why you can’t get a home. Lenders look for stability. If you jump from job to job, regardless of monetary or career improvement, lenders see you as a financial risk. When the economy takes a downward turn, employers tend to retain employees with seniority. Also taken into consideration is the risk of the job.
4. Parent History – If your parents have a questionable credit history, you may be dealing under their shadow. If parents foreclosed, you may be affected. If they were late with mortgage or credit card payments, you may be looked upon as having the same traits. If you are asked information on parent particulars, you may need to look elsewhere for home financing.
5. Location – The location of a home may affect whether or not a lender is willing to risk mortgaging it. LNG routes, Super Site areas, fault lines, destructive weather patterns all have bearings on mortgage risks lenders are willing to take on.
6. Inspection – More and more, home inspections are being required to seal the closing deal. Hopes have been dashed to learn major expenses must be incurred to pass inspection for the approval of the sale.
7. Condition – Fixer-uppers may offer pricing that appears affordable. If you have no background of construction or home improvement projects completed, lenders are leery to finance such undertakings. They may require a lump sum amount be in an account to cover the improvements necessary to ensure the property does not result in a loss to the lender.
8. Liens – If you owned property before and were subject to liens for unacceptable reasons such as credit card debt or unpaid taxes, you may not get the home you desire. A current homeowner may also have substantial liens that need to be satisfied at closing either from the sale itself or as additional costs to the buyer.
9. History – The history of the home may be the deciding factor that keeps a lender from financing in your behalf. A murder, haunting, nearby sinkhole, or other less favorable activity, bear upon the lender’s willingness to finance such a home.
10. The Bank – Economic conditions and bank lending history may be the reason you can’t get a home. Banks may be leaning toward only very secure clients to up their lending credibility. If a bank turns you down, look to other options before you decide to settle on thinking you can’t get a home. FHA, VHA, or a first time buyer program offer other alternatives for which you may qualify.

If you can’t get a home loan with one lender, chances are good that another institution will also turn you down. You should take some time and work at increasing the good points that will work in your favor. Try again when your situation has improved.

posted with permission by KCM

How Much Should You put Down?

Like most questions, the answer is “it depends”. Today, I thought I’d give you some things to consider.

Let’s begin the discussion with loans that don’t require Mortgage Insurance. The suggestion is to borrow as much as you can afford. As an example, borrowing $310,000, as opposed to $300,000, will increase your mortgage payment by about $51 at 4.5%. Recognize that by doing so, you will have $10,000 in the bank. It is my experience that it is easier to find $50 more every month than it is to save $10,000. Even if you had the discipline to set aside the $50 monthly, it would take you 200 months to re-accumulate the $10,000 in principal (longer with lost interest).

Understand too, that the interest paid on the extra money borrowed is tax-deductible. In a 25% tax bracket the $51 additional has a real cost of about $38!

Having the $10,000 liquid has other potential advantages as well:

1. If rates go up in the future, you could potentially make more interest than you are spending.
2. If you can avoid using credit cards for furniture, home improvements, etc., you can save a bundle on those non-tax deductible interest rate costs.
3. In a world where home values have declined, the more you borrow, the less you have at risk. You transfer the risk of the future value of the home to the lender.

Now, many borrowers today will need some sort of Mortgage Insurance, whether it’s a Conventional Loan with less than 20% down or an FHA Mortgage. These borrowers should sit with their loan officer and run the numbers because the cost of the Mortgage Insurance can vary based on loan-to-value and other factors. Examine the costs and the relative benefits.

reprinted with permission by KCM

Money to purchase and renovate your home!

Whether you’re looking at a foreclosed home, bank REO, a Short Sale or really any home, you need to be aware of the FHA 203K Program. The general condition of real estate has taken a dip over the past few years, as homeowners are not sprucing up their home as they have in the past.

(Pssst…there’s a recession going on…people are afraid of losing jobs…and they believe they won’t “get back” the money they spend by renovating upon sale).

The 203K loan can be used for small repairs (with a minimum of $5000 of work) such as a new roof or replacing the boiler. It can go all the way up to practically rebuilding the home and anything in between. Maybe you love a home, the neighborhood, etc., but you hate the kitchen cabinets. The 203K may be for you. As long as the existing foundation stays intact, we can talk about any type of repair, upgrade, modernization or expansion.

With one closing, we will give borrowers money to satisfy their contract with the seller AND establish a Rehab Escrow Account to fund the agreed renovations. The Rehab Escrow Account is managed like a Construction Loan. Money is released after work is completed, the property is inspected by the lender and the title is updated.

Like all FHA loans, the property must be owner occupied and loan approval requires full documentation of income, assets and credit worthiness. At the same time, underwriting guidelines have some flexibility built in. (In theory, we can lend up to 110% of the After-Improved Value of the home for example.)

Loans are processed in the same fashion as any other loan (in terms of income, asset and credit) with the exception of the appraisal. Appraisers work in conjunction with the home improvement contractor and a HUD Approved Pre-Planner to determine: “As-Is” Value, “After-Improved” Value, costs of construction and the draw schedule of the renovation portion of the loan. This work typically adds about a week to the approval process, largely because it should be done BEFORE contracts are signed.

SOME UNIQUE FEATURES OF THE 203K

• Mixed-Use Properties may be eligible! As long as the commercial space is no more than the allowable square footage based on the number of floors in the building and none of the renovation monies are used for a commercial renovation, the 203K gives tremendous interest rates for Mixed-Use Properties.
• The loan can be used to change property usage (when appropriate municipality approval)…..converting a 1 Family Home to a 2 Family or a 4 Family to a 3 Family or any variation that stays within the 1-4 Family boundaries works.
• On major renovations we will finance up to six months payments into the loan. In these cases,the house will not be habitable until after the work is completed.
• There is a Streamline 203K for projects that require less than $35,000 of repairs. Typically, we like to see only one or two items of work that can be done quickly (with one inspection).

It is recommended that you work with an experienced loan officer when exploring the 203K Program, as there are many details that need to be considered (from selecting a qualified contractor to the inner workings of the draw schedule and preparing for different contingencies). While the program is more intricate, with the right education ahead of time, it is extremely manageable.

posted with permission from KCM