CHRISTINE's Blog

ARE TITLE COMPANIES GETTING OVERWHELMED OR ARE THEY JUST CRANKY?

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:51:22 -0600

I've surpried recently with the upsurge of cranky escrow officers, and title people, especially from the Southern California area where title and escrow are separate. They no longer want to go out of their way for you and in fact, don't even seem like the want to do their job these days. I realize many title and escrow companies have vanished along with our economy, so you'd think that the remaining ones would be more than happy to do what's necessary to keep the clients and us going forward on our files, but my experience is that they are indifferent to the issues that come up delaying the closing of the escrows. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they are just flat out over worked, but then wouldn't you expect that the heads of the title and escrow companies would gear up their staff to handle the volume if that was the reason for the problems that we've all been experiencing. Love to hear your views and experiences.

Selling a new home subdivision at a great price!

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:03:58 -0500

Attention all buyers wanting a real deal in a new home and a unique area to live. Have you ever wanted a place for your kids to run, jump and play in a private yet playground like area, well I have a place for you to look. I'm selling a new home subdivision at Johnston Park in the 95815 zip code. The homes will actually be inside the 52 acre park with 2 tot lots, basketball courts, community center and community pool all without an HOA or Mello Roos. These 1 story homes are either 5bedrooms and 2 bath ($289,950) or 3 bedrooms and 2 baths ($269,950), 2 car garage, with a Mediterrean Styled motif! UNBELIEVABLE PRICING! They'll have large palm trees planted in the front yard landscape and there will be a selection of tile, carpet, granite and cabinets. Only the finest of materials are being used. The builder has been in the Sacramento area for over 25 years and is well known in the custom home industry, so these home reveal his high standard of building.

The first set of these homes will be completed in mid July 2008 - look out for our advertising in mid June or call us to be entered into our waitlist of interested buyers - we're offering a 3% coop to agents - You won't be disappointed!

large land deals - as buyers agent anything to look out for??

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:13:13 -0500

I'm assiting a client in a large land purchase and wanted some suggestions on anything more to look out for other than the potability & productivity of the wells, soil testing around septics, appraisal, eir, biological, botanical, archaelogical surveys - anything specific I should be asking for from the seller in protecting my client. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

FORECLOSURE BUSINESS IS WHERE IT'S AT FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:17:53 -0500

As a resident in the Sacramento area I find it an unfortunate state of affairs when the real estae forecast shows continued increase in foreclosures for the next 2 years, but that is the general concensus of opinion that I have found after attending a recent conference on the foreclosure market. This prediction has been based primarily upon the many short sales and NOD's that have been filed on homes. Every market is apparently experiencing homes that are going into default and subsequent foreclosure, even the highly affluent neighborhoods in El Dorado Hill and Folsom are just starting to see the signs going up.

What I would like to caution my fellow real estate agents managing these REO properties is to avoid the "Bank Owned" or "Foreclosure" signs on the homes, as that tends to open up the door to vandalism and squatting issues that we've been expeirencing. My team has been managing Foreclosure properties for the last year and some banks are better than others with respect to adhereing to neighborhood CC&R's and maintaining the appearance of the properties. It is our desire and goal to keep our REO properties looking like regular sales, to help property values and reduce the embrassesment of the mortgagor.

LLC's - Does anyone have any feedback?

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:20:48 -0500

I'm condsidering creating an LLC for my real estate business but I don't know much about them and the books on them are thick! Has anyone had any positive or negative experiences with an LLC and how did you go about creating one. I've heard that you can actually put one together yourself, but not having enough time to even do my nails most times I worry that I won't cover all the details necessary and miss something. Am just in the information gathering stages at this time so if any of you guys can help it would be much appreciated.

How to tactfully change a buyers lender, when they're friends

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:20:44 -0500

I've had this happen to me at least 5 times and every time I'm mad at myself for not being more assertive in telling a client that their "friend" or "relative" in the lending business is screwing them in the program or fees they are trying to put them in. It's difficult to tell a buyer that they're family member isn't looking out after their best interest. I also know how difficult it is to work with family, but a choosing the right home loan for someone is an extremely important task. Has any one come across this problem and how do you handle this very precarious situation?

Why are the buyers waiting is this market???

CHRISTINE LIBRACH (KELLER WILLIMAS REALTY) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:34:29 -0500

Why aren't there more buyers moving into the market given the price reductions?? Knowing that interest rates may escalate at any time you would think there would be more activity. I gues what I mean to say is that, there is buyer activity but many of them are still sitting on the fence and no matter how much information you give them, with regard to the natural "cycle" of the market and how the cost to wait doesn't make sense, they persist in just looking and missing opportunities that present themselves. It's as if they are not listening well to those that are actually working in the industry on a daily basis, but rather listen to the media's take on the market. What becomes extremely frustrating for me is when you show your clients lots and lots of properties and advise them to make an offer on their first choice, but they choose to wait a little longer with hopes the purchse price drops a bit more, instead of just offering the price they'd like to buy the home for and then negotiating from there, and then the property goes pending, ahhh! This seems to be happening more and more these days and what's most disconcerting is the amount of time vested with the buyers, and their time in searching with me, and the subsequest missed opportunities.