Attention Homeowners if you have been served with foreclosure papers please consult your own attorney as soon as possible.

In most cases the bank and the attorney will both recommend that you try to sell your home as soon as possible by using a short sale.

What is a short sale? A short sale is when you are allowed to sell your house for less than what you owe the bank. Example: You owe the bank $100,000 for your house. You have an offer on your house for $85,000.00. The bank allows you to sell your house for $85,000.00 taking a $15,000 loss.

Why does the bank allow this? The Foreclosure process is a very expensive and drawn out process for the bank. The can usually recover more with a short sale rather than foreclosing and auctioning off the house.

How do I do a Short Sale? First and foremost the clock is ticking. You need to act quickly in order to get an offer to purchase on your property before the property gets auctioned. Your first step is to call a Real Estate Agent familiar with short sales.  You then need to devise with the agent a marketing and pricing strategy that will get you a quick offer on your house. This is not the time to hold out for all you can get. You won't make money with a short sale but you will not have a foreclosure affixed to your credit report which will make it difficult to rebuild your credit and purchase future property.

I know that the prospect of foreclosure is very scary and can get very emotional. But by doing a short sale you can save your credit and it will be easier to pick up the pieces and rebuild.

For more information or to meet with me confidentially please call me anytime at 315.515.8348.

If you are considering selling your house in the Upstate New York region check out my marketing plan before listing with another Realtor!

1. I will do a complete Comparable Market Analysis for your property which will help determine the market dictated price you could expect to sell your property for.
2. I will give your property its own unique website. Check out http://www.5879breedrd.com for an example
3. I will have your property professionally photographed to enhance each unique detail of your property
4. Extensive print advertising will be created for you property. Such as custom brochures and flyers.
5. You property will be featured on multiple websites and can be found in over 25 different search engines.
6. I will conduct multiple open houses until your property is SOLD.
7. A Brokers Open House will be conducted to introduce your property to local Realtors who may have a buyer looking for what you are offering.

I will customize this marketing plan to your unique property needs and preferences. As you can see I offer things that other local real estate agents do not currently offer.

To many real estate agents just enter your property into the MLS and wait for someone to call on it. With today's real estate market that is simply not enough. You need an aggressive agent with a solid marketing plan if you want your property to sell quickly and for all that its worth. So don't settle!

Feel free to contact me anytime at 315.515.8348 if you have any questions or would like to speak further!

Sincerely,

Amy M. Testa

Guaranteed Results

In New York State many parties take part in a Real Estate Closing. You have the seller's agent, the buyer's agent, the lender, the seller's attorney, the buyer's attorney, the bank attorney, the appraiser the abstract company the surveyor... the list could go on.

With all of these different parties involved in the closing it is important for the Real Estate Agent to carefully choose who they are recommending their clients to.

I quickly realized that most of my clients depend on me to refer them to a lender and an attorney. I also realized that not all mortgage brokers and not all attorneys are created equal!

Since our referrals and recommendations mean so much to our clients it is important for us agents to partner ourselves with the best in the industry.

When I refer a mortgage broker to my clients I always ask the broker for a good faith estimate for my client in advance. This estimate will breakdown the fee's and closing costs the client will have to pay at closing. I like to provide my buyer's with 3 lender referrals and estimates. This way they can compare each one and decide who will work best for them. I look for mortgage brokers who not only are fair in rates and closing costs but who get back to my clients and me quickly and who stay with the closing to the end.

When recommending an attorney I look for the same qualities. Be sure to get their rate in advance as some attorneys get away with charging a full percent of the purchase price of the home. Most importantly I recommend attorneys who return phone calls promptly and keep me, the real estate agent, as well as the client in the loop throughout the entire closing process.  Another thing to be aware of when choosing an attorney if your client is the buyer is the title insurance company they use. Ask them who they use and what the turnaround time is. If the time exceeds more than 48 hours this could make for a long closing.

Although the Realtor's recommendations are important be sure not to steer your clients. New York State requires that you offer 3 mortgage referrals and 3 attorney referrals. Just choose your 3 wisely and your closings will go smoothly!

In New York State many parties take part in a Real Estate Closing. You have the seller's agent, the buyer's agent, the lender, the seller's attorney, the buyer's attorney, the bank attorney, the appraiser the abstract company the surveyor... the list could go on.

With all of these different parties involved in the closing it is important for the Real Estate Agent to carefully choose who they are recommending their clients to.

I quickly realized that most of my clients depend on me to refer them to a lender and an attorney. I also realized that not all mortgage brokers and not all attorneys are created equal!

Since our referrals and recommendations mean so much to our clients it is important for us agents to partner ourselves with the best in the industry.

When I refer a mortgage broker to my clients I always ask the broker for a good faith estimate for my client in advance. This estimate will breakdown the fee's and closing costs the client will have to pay at closing. I like to provide my buyer's with 3 lender referrals and estimates. This way they can compare each one and decide who will work best for them. I look for mortgage brokers who not only are fair in rates and closing costs but who get back to my clients and me quickly and who stay with the closing to the end.

When recommending an attorney I look for the same qualities. Be sure to get their rate in advance as some attorneys get away with charging a full percent of the purchase price of the home. Most importantly I recommend attorneys who return phone calls promptly and keep me, the real estate agent, as well as the client in the loop throughout the entire closing process.  Another thing to be aware of when choosing an attorney if your client is the buyer is the title insurance company they use. Ask them who they use and what the turnaround time is. If the time exceeds more than 48 hours this could make for a long closing.

Although the Realtor's recommendations are important be sure not to steer your clients. New York State requires that you offer 3 mortgage referrals and 3 attorney referrals. Just choose your 3 wisely and your closings will go smoothly!

Many Home Buyers purchase their home from the Real Estate Agent listed on the sign but this is not the best way to buy.

 When you buy from the agent who has the property listed you are their customer not their client and they are acting as the Seller's Agent. This means that they are working in the best interest of their client, the home seller, not you the buyer. What this means is for the buyer is less chance of sucessful negotiating.

Since the Seller pays the Real Estate commissions every home buyer should have their own Real Estate Agent who would act in their best interest. This agent would be considered the Buyer's Agent and they work in the best interest of the buyer. It's basically free representation so you should take advantage of it.

Having your own agent will ensure smoother more effective negotiating, open lines of communication and a smoother closing. Look for an agent who knows the local market, gets back to you in a timely manner and shows you the type of houses you are looking for in the price range you specify. Having a good Buyer's Agent is invaluable and could save you thousands of dollars in purchasing your new home.

If you are looking to purchase in the Central and Fingerlake region of New York State please contact me at 315.515.8348 to learn more.

Happy House Hunting!!!

Here in upstate New York winter is not the best time to showcase houses for sale on our beautiful Fingerlakes. Now that spring is ALMOST here it is time for seller's to think about getting their properties on the market.

Our lakes are absolutely gorgeous all year round but the summer is their time shine. Seller's with lake front property to sell should start interviewing their agents and cleaning up their properties.

Since the waterfront is what really attracts the buyers be sure to have your beach fronts clean and trees trimmed back to reveal the fabulous view. Also consider placing a for sale sign on the beach as well as the usual front yard spot for passing boaters to see.  Once the weather warms up be sure to open all of the windows and air out the house.

Lakefront properties in the Finger lakes region are sought after throughout the entire Country many property owners either live in the downstate area or out of state. So make sure your Realtor gives your property a web site and a web presence as well.  Happy selling.

For more information about buying or selling property in the Finger lakes region contact Amy Testa at 315.515.8348.

I am a new member to Active Rain and decided to give this site a shot. I have to admit this is a great networking site.

After being an Active Rain member for about a month I received my first referral from this site! I am so excited. Not only does this site give you a chance to network with other Realtors from all around the country it also helps you get business and what Realtor or Mortgage Broker doesn't want business?

I can assure you the next time I have a client who is looking for property or a lender in an area that I don't service I am going to use the Active Rain referral network rather than just the simple internet search that I have used in the past. Using the Active Rain referral network will give me the assurance that I have sent my client to a capable and competent person who is focused on the Real Estate Industry and dedicated to their line of work.

We have to support this online community and give back to each other whether it be through referrals, marketing tips or just plain old encouragement. We have a platform that allows us to voice our opinions, share in our successes, and share business. I know that I am going to be using Active Rain for a long time and I hope that everyone on here will give first to the Active Rain community before going outside of this great network.