How To Pick The Right Lender For Your Mortgage

Doug Reynolds, a Sacramento Area Realtor, provides tips and advice to buyers that are just starting the home buying process and needing to select a lender to work with.  In this challenging market and economy, it is crucial that a buyer select a very high quality lender that will provide excellent service and results.  Contact Doug today if you'd like to know about the lenders he recommends.  They work for local, smaller, direct lenders.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com

Sierra Oaks, Wilhaggin, Del Dayo and Shelfield - Sales Data for March 2012

There were 12 homes sold in Sierra Oaks, Wilhaggin, Del Dayo and Shelfield in the month of March 2012 . This is a increase from the 5 sold in  February 2011.  Here are the addresses and specific details:

 

Currently there are: 38 active listings, 3 active short sale listings, 13 contingent short sale listings, and 14 pending sales.

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the Sierra Oaks, Wilhaggin, Del Dayo and Shelfield areas.

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

Arden Park and Arden Oaks - Sales Data for March 2012

There were 8 homes sold in Arden Park and Arden Oaks in March 2012.  That is slight increase from the 5 sold in the month of  February  2012.  Here are the addresses and specific information:


 

There are currently: 23 active listings, 3 active short sale listings, 4 contingent short sale listings, and 5 pending sales.

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the Arden Park or Arden Oaks area.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com

Elmhurst and Tahoe Park Sales Data - March 2012 (Sacramento, Ca)

There were 9 homes sold in Elmhurst and Tahoe Park in the month of March 2012.  That is a slight decrease from the 10 homes sold in the area in the month of  February 2012.  Here are the addresses and specific information.

Currently there are: 17 active listings, 5 active short sales, 15 contingent short sales, and 16 pending sales.

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the Tahoe Park / Elmhurst area.

 

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

Land Park and Curtis Park Sales Data - March 2012 (Sacramento, Ca)

There were 17  homes sold in Land Park and Curtis Park in the month of March 2012 .  That is a slight decrease from the 18  homes sold in the month of  February 2012.  Here are the addresses and specific information.

 Currently there are: 33 Active listings, 3 Active short sale listings, 0 Contingent short sale listings, and 13 Pending sales.

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the Land Park or Curtis Park area.

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

 

East Sacramento: McKinley Park, Fab 40's, River Park, East Sac, East Portal Park - Sales Data for March 2012

There were 27 homes sold in East Sacramento in the month of March , 2012.  That is a slight increase from the 26 homes sold in the area in the month of  February  2012 .  Here are the addresses and specific information.







Currently there are: 43 Active listings, 5 Active short sale listings, 12 Contingent short sale listings, and 26 Pending Sales.

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the East Sacramento area.

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

Rosemont Sales in March 2012 (Sacramento, Ca)

There were 29 homes sold in Rosemont in the month of March, 2012.  That is a large increase from the 17 that sold in February.  Here are the addresses and specific information.

 

 

Currently there are: 13 Active listings, 10 Active short sale listings, 27 Contingent Short Sales  and 28Pending Sales

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the 95826 zip code.  Check back each month for the updated statistics, as I keep a close eye on the 95826 zip code, where I live and own rental property.  Let me know if there are any particular properties you have questions about. 

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

College Greens / Glenbrook Sales in March 2012 (Sacramento, Ca)

There were 18 homes sold in College Greens / Glenbrook for the month of March, 2011.  That is an increase from the 12 sold in February.  Here are the addresses and specific information.

Currently there are: 12 Active listings, 3 Active short sale listings, 24 Contingent Short Sales  and 19 Pending Sales

If you would like more information (pictures, listing history, what type of sales they were, etc.) feel free to call or email and I’d be happy to provide that for you.  Call or email me if you are looking to buy or sell in the 95826 zip code.  Check back each month for the updated statistics, as I keep a close eye on the 95826 zip code, where I live and own rental property.  Let me know if there are any particular properties you have questions about. 

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

3 Hot Trends for Kitchen Remodeling in 2012

Mulling a kitchen remodel but want to keep costs low? You’re au courant with today’s trends that emphasize options and high-tech wizardry at affordable prices.

Trend #1: Remodeling scales back

A new focus on moderation and value has entered the remodeling mind-set. Trends that are likely to show up in your kitchen next year include:

You’ll repair your existing appliances instead of replacing them, extending their life with good maintenance and care. If you’re replacing cabinets, you’re likely to build around your current appliances rather than choosing new models.

You’re scaling back your cabinetry purchases, with an increased emphasis on kitchen storage and functionality overelaborate decoration. For example, rather than stacked crown moldings throughout the kitchen, you’ll put your money into practical roll-out trays and drawer organizers.  

Small-scale kitchen projects are big news. Changing out cabinet hardware, replacing a faucet, and refacing your cabinets upgrades your kitchen without major expense.

Trend #2: Simpler, warmer styles dominate

Fussiness and excess have faded away in favor of pared-back looks that present a more timeless, value-conscious style.

Cabinet decoration continues to streamline. For example, massive corbels, once fashionable as undercounter supports, will give way to sleeker countertop supports and cantelivered countertop edges. Stacked moldings will pare back or disappear entirely. Elaborately glazed finishes will yield to simpler paints and stains. 

Kitchen finishes will continue to get warmer and darker, and feature natural and stained woods. Walnut especially is growing in popularity.

Laminate countertops will continue to surge in popularity, especially in contemporary design. The latest European-inspired laminates offer more textured and naturalistic finishes than ever before. While exotic wood kitchen cabinets are out of reach for most home owners, glossy, look-alike laminate versions can be had for about one-third the price.

Trend #3: Technology expands its kitchen presence

Many of the techno products and trends that relate to your smartphones and tablets have just started making their way into your local showrooms and home centers.

Appliances will be equipped with USB ports and digital screens so you can display your family photographs and kids’ artwork.

Smart, induction built-in cooktops ($500-$3,000) remember your temperature settings as you move your pans across their entire surface.

One light finger touch is all it takes to open the electronically controlled sliding doors of your kitchen cabinets — a boon to people with limited mobilities. You’ll pay 40% to 70% more for cabinets with electronically controlled doors than standard models.

You’ll be able to use your smart phones and tablets to control lights and appliance settings from anywhere you have a wi-fi connection, as well as to shop for appliances from major manufacturers.

You’ll be opting for LEDs for your recessed lights, under-cabinet task lighting and color-changing accent lighting. You’ll see more LED-powered pendants and chandeliers from major manufacturers as inefficient incandescent bulbs continue their march toward extinction.

A wide selection of affordable microwave ovens with convection and even steam features gives owners of smaller kitchen spaces more high-end cooking power.

What improvements — big or small — are you planning for your kitchen this year?

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com

FHA TAKES ADDITIONAL STEPS TO BOLSTER CAPITAL RESERVES

New premium structure will help protect FHA’s MMI fund

WASHINGTON – As part of ongoing efforts to encourage the return of private capital in the residential mortgage market and strengthen the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund,

Acting FHA Commissioner Carol Galante today announced a new premium structure for FHA-insured single family mortgage loans. FHA will increase its annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) by 0.10 percent for loans under

$625,500 and by 0.35 percent for loans above that amount. Upfront premiums (UFMIP) will also increase by 0.75 percent.

These premium changes will impact new loans insured by FHA beginning in April and June of 2012. Details will soon be published in a Mortgagee Letter to FHA-approved lenders. “After careful analysis of the market and the health of the MMI fund, we have determined that it is appropriate to increase mortgage insurance premiums in order to help protect our capital reserves and to continue encouraging the return of private capital to the housing market,” said Galante. “These modest increases are one of several measures we are taking towards meeting the Congressionally mandated two percent reserve threshold, while allowing FHA to remain a valuable option for low- to moderate-income borrowers.”

The Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 requires FHA to increase the annual MIP it collects by 0.10 percent. This change is effective for case numbers assigned on or after April 1, 2012. FHA is also exercising its statutory authority to add an additional 0.25 percent to mortgages exceeding $625,500. This change is effective for case numbers assigned on or after June 1, 2012.

The UFMIP will be increased from 1 percent to 1.75 percent of the base loan amount. This increase applies regardless of the amortization term or LTV ratio. FHA will continue to permit financing of this charge into the mortgage. This change is effective for case numbers assigned on or after April 1, 2012. FHA estimates that the increase to the upfront premium will cost new borrowers an average of approximately $5 more per month. These marginal increases are affordable for nearly all homebuyers who would qualify for a new mortgage loan. Borrowers already in an FHAinsured mortgage, Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), and special loan programs outlined in FHA’s forthcoming Mortgagee Letter will not be impacted by the pricing changes announced today.

Taken together, these premium changes will enable FHA to increase revenues at a time that is critical to the ongoing stability of its Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund, contributing more than $1 billion to the Fund, based on current volume projections through Fiscal Year 2013.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com

Warren Buffett Is Betting on Housing

Posted By susanne On March 3, 2012 @ 12:01 am In Business Development,Business Outlook,Consumer News and Advice,Finance and Economy,Home Owner News,Real Estate,Real Estate News,Real Estate Trends,Today's Marketplace,Today's Top Story - Consumer | 

From the Los Angeles Times

The U.S. housing market disappointed Warren Buffett last year, but he hasn’t given up hope.

Buffett said in his annual shareholder letter that he was “dead wrong” when he predicted last year that the rebound in U.S. home prices would begin within a year.

This year, though, he’s betting again that the housing market will recover, and for an interesting reason: hormones.

As Buffett explains it, the housing market is currently depressed because young Americans have stayed at home rather than going out and setting up their own households.

“People may postpone hitching up during uncertain times, but eventually hormones take over,” Buffett wrote in the letter to shareholders in his investment company Berkshire Hathaway. “And while ‘doubling-up’ may be the initial reaction of some during a recession, living with in-laws can quickly lose its allure.”

That is not the entirety of his argument. He also says that home builders are not creating enough new supply. As a result, the excess inventory that built up after the financial crisis is slowly disappearing, paving the way for new demand.

During an appearance on CNBC, Buffett said he would buy up millions of U.S. homes if it were possible.

Data out Monday seemed to support Buffett’s contention. The National Association of REALTORS® announced that the number of people buying used homes in January rose to a 21-month high.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com

Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers

Don’t let pet odors derail your home sale.

Air your house out. While you’re cleaning, throw open all the windows in your home to allow fresh air to circulate and sweep out unpleasant scents.

Once your house is free of pet odors, do what you can to keep the smells from returning. Crate your dog when you're out or keep it outdoors. Limit the cat to one floor or room, if possible. Remove or replace pet bedding.

Scrub thoroughly. Scrub bare floors and walls soiled by pets with vinegar, wood floor cleaner, or an odor-neutralizing product, which you can purchase at a pet supply store for $10 to $25. 

Try a 1:9 bleach-to-water solution on surfaces it won’t damage, like cement floors or walls. 

Got a stubborn pet odors covering a large area? You may have to spend several hundred dollars to hire a service that specializes in hard-to-clean stains.

Wash your drapes and upholstery. Pet odors seep into fabrics. Launder, steam clean, or dry clean all your fabric window coverings. Steam clean upholstered furniture. 

Either buy a steam cleaner designed to remove pet hair for around $200 and do the job yourself, or pay a pro. You'll spend about $40 for an upholstered chair, $100 for a sofa, and $7 for each dining room chair if a pro does your cleaning.

Clean your carpets. Shampoo your carpets and rugs, or have professionals do the job for $25 to $50 per room, depending on their size and the level of filth embedded in them. The cleaner will try to sell you deodorizing treatments. You'll know if you need to spend the extra money on those after the carpet dries and you have a friend perform a sniff test.

If deodorizing doesn't remove the pet odor from your home, the carpets and padding will have to go. Once you tear them out, scrub the subfloor with vinegar or an odor-removing product, and install new padding and carpeting. Unless the smell is in the subfloor, in which case that goes next.

Paint, replace, or seal walls. When heavy-duty cleaners haven’t eradicated smells in drywall, plaster, or woodwork, add a fresh coat of paint or stain, or replace the drywall or wood altogether. 

On brick and cement, apply a sealant appropriate for the surface for $25 to $100. That may smother and seal in the odor, keeping it from reemerging.

Place potpourri or scented candles in strategic locations. Put a bow on your deep clean with potpourri and scented candles. Don’t go overboard and turn off buyers sensitive to perfumes. Simply place a bowl of mild potpourri in your foyer to create a warm first impression, and add other mild scents to the kitchen and bathrooms.

Control ongoing urine smells. If your dog uses indoor pee pads, put down a new pad each time the dog goes. Throw them away outside in a trash can with a tight lid. Remove even clean pads from view before each showing.

Replace kitty litter daily, rather than scooping used litter clumps, and sweep up around the litter box. Hide the litter box before each showing.

Relocate pets. If your dog or cat has a best friend it can stay with while you're selling your home (and you can stand to be separated from your pet), consider sending your pet on a temporary vacation. If pets have to stay, remove them from the house for showings and put away their dishes, towels, and toys.

clear skies,
Doug Reynolds
 
www.BHGshortsales.com

 

Basketball Legend Michael Jordan’s Home for Sale

 ^[1]Recently, the longtime personal residence of NBA legend Michael Jordan in Highland Park, Illinois, was presented for sale by Katherine Chez Malkin and will be marketed globally by Luxury Portfolio International. With an asking price of $29 million, the secluded compound offers over 56,000 square feet of livable space on three levels; including nine bedrooms, more than 15 baths, and five fireplaces.

Designed to Jordan’s exacting specifications, the tastefully furnished and luxuriously appointed property will afford its owner the ultimate in privacy, security and amenities.

 ^[2]In addition to the main residence, the estate features an attached and beautifully appointed three-bedroom guesthouse, an indoor/outdoor entertaining and pool area, an outdoor tennis court, a putting green, a deep water pond, and three separate climate-controlled multi-car garages. The residence was constructed between 1993 and 1995, and extensively renovated in 2009.

Among the most extraordinary features of the sprawling estate is the attached indoor basketball complex. Completed in 2001, the recreational facility has a separate entry and nearby parking area. It features a full size regulation basketball court with specially cushioned hardwood flooring, adjustable backstops and baskets, and competition-quality high-intensity lighting. The court also has a one-of-a-kind sound system with speakers expressly “tuned” to provide perfect acoustics within the court space.

Requests for information about purchase of the property should be directed to listing broker Katherine Chez-Malkin at Katherine.chezmalkin@bairdwarner.com ^[3].

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com

Answers for First-Time Buyers

March 2, 2012| by Sarah Stelmok, ABR, GRI, e-Pro

Many people in the market today are first-time home buyers who would not have been able to buy when home prices were higher. Enticed both by lower prices and bank promotions, these eager hopefuls are have taken the signs of deals as the best chance to make their first real estate move  .

While all home buyers need help with the short sale process, it’s especially challenging to address the needs and concerns of a first-time home buyer who has decided a short sale is the home for them. Here’s how to get answers to first-time home buyers’ top three questions about short sales.

1. How long does it take for a bank to approve a short sale?

This is the million-dollar question. While it takes an average of three to six months, the timeline – and the process – vary quite a bit from one bank to another.

Short sale approval timelines depend on the bank (some just take longer than others). While each bank has different short sale guidelines, the short sale has to make sense to the bank. The more sense the short sale offer makes to the bank, the faster the approval process.

Here are some things that slow down the process by several weeks or more – these usually involve more people or more factors:

·         Multiple liens on the property

·         A third party negotiating the short sale on behalf of a seller. Some states allow third parties to do this, for a fee; some states, like Virginia, limit this to real estate licensees, attorneys, and employees of attorneys.  

·         Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) on the property

·         Additional investors

Action: To make an accurate prediction about the short sale timeline for a particular property, research the bank’s general timelines, the property’s liens, and whether there is PMI before writing the offer.

2. Will the bank make repairs to the property?

The short answer is, probably not.

Here’s why:

·         The bank does not have possession of the property and has no authority to make repairs on behalf of the seller.

·         Many short-sale sellers do not have the financial means to make repairs.

·         Many banks require the short sale to be sold strictly “as-is” and do not allow the seller to pay for any repairs.

Why wouldn’t a bank allow the seller to make repairs? your buyer may ask. A short sale is a sticky situation for a bank, and that the bank wants to avoid potential liability. For example, if the bank allowed the seller to make repairs and the repairs proved to be faulty, the buyer might potentially hold the bank liable, since the seller doesn’t have money (which is how the short-sale situation came about in the first place).

Action: Find out how the bank and the seller feel about making possible repairs. A short-sale buyer needs to understand that the home will most likely be sold strictly “as-is” and all repairs will be at their expense.

3. How do other types of debt affect the short sale outcome?

Many short-sale sellers are more than just “house-poor.” Many have additional debts that place a cloud on title. These include tax liens – income and property, medical liens, mechanic’s liens, and child support judgments.

Depending on your state, some creditors can try to collect debt by going to civil court and getting a judgment lien placed on the property against the homeowner. These liens must be cleared before the short sale transaction can be closed.

·         Surprisingly, tax liens are probably the easiest to clear off the title. The IRS has several avenues to collect back taxes, and doesn’t want to become a real estate holding company. Removing a tax lien can take up to 120 days, so it is imperative that this process is started well in advance of the short sale.

·         Medical liens can usually be negotiated and a payment plan worked out. However, this is a time-consuming process and needs to be started as soon as possible.

·         Mechanic’s liens are a little harder to get removed. There is not much recourse for tradespeople and bad debts.

·         Child support judgments are also difficult to remove because they usually involve government agencies.

In short, additional debts can tie up the short sale process.

Action: Make sure to ask the listing agent if a preliminary title search has been performed on the property so you can know about possible obstacles.

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

 

www.BHGshortsales.com