Is There Hope for a Sacramento Home Buyer to Buy a Short Sale With a VA Loan? - 09/30/11 09:42 AM
VA buyers get the short end of the stick in Sacramento. That's the dirty little truth that nobody wants to talk about. When it comes to the hierarchy of lending and types of mortgages, VA loans fall to the bottom of the pile. You've got your cash buyers on top, followed by conventional, with FHA loans ranking third in priority. VA is squished on the bottom.
There's a bit of hypocrisy going on there, too. People running around with Support Our Troops stickers slapped on the back of their fat-ass SUVs, but when it comes to accepting an offer from a … (8 comments)

The Single Most Important Thing for Selling That Home - 09/29/11 09:42 AM
A client implied a few days ago that I have other sources of income primarily because I am a real estate broker. It occurred to me how little the public knows about the real estate profession. They talk to friends who feed them misinformation. Being a real estate broker means I am held to a higher standard of knowledge, which can result in a higher level of personal liability, actually. But it doesn't equate to a higher commission check. I still work for Lyon Real Estate, which has its own broker.
Moreover, sometimes sellers think that we real estate agents have … (6 comments)

The Definition of Insanity for a Sacramento Short Sale Agent - 09/28/11 09:41 AM
An agent yesterday called me a crack up. Because I told him: If your buyer is happy, my life is complete. OK, so maybe I was half joking but I was also half serious. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I am concerned if the buyers for my listings are happy. Primarily because if the buyers are not happy, they can make my life and my short sale sellers' life a living hell. And a living hell is not where I want to be or anybody should be.
We short sale agents have enough stress. How much stress, you ask? I'll … (9 comments)

How to Get the Edge to Buy a Sacramento Short Sale - 09/27/11 09:22 AM
They -- that ubiquitous they -- say that California is the land of fruit and nuts. You hear crap like that all the time when you live in California. But let me tell you, a new Field Poll released Tuesday found that 91% of voters in California say our state economy totally sucks. I don't see any fruit or nuts in that bowl of cereal. Sounds like people know what's going on. Then you've got your 72% who say the economy will stay about the same or change, leaving 26% who hope it will improve -- and 2% who don't know … (2 comments)

There's No Place Like Home, Not Like This Short Sale in Natomas - 09/26/11 10:10 AM
An agent emailed yesterday to say he tried to show a listing but the sellers did not call him back. He asked if I could help him to get an appointment. Look no further than the red sparkly shoes on your feet, Dorothy. You've always had the power to go home. Just click your heels together and repeat after me: There's no place like home, there's no place like home.
I am astonished at the number of agents in Sacramento who don't know what "Call First, Lockbox" means when they read it on a listing. Some of them think it means … (3 comments)

Adobe Acrobat X Pro is Essential Software to Streamline Sacramento Short Sales - 09/25/11 11:11 AM
The thing about being self-employed as a Sacramento short sale agent is the fact that limitations are present every day in my business. I am not boasting when I say there is only so much that one person can do. It's the truth. The way I stay successful is to stay hands-on. I could list 1,000 short sales a year if I wanted to but I do not. To do that volume, I would need to hire a bunch of agents to work for me, and then the quality of my work would suffer.
There is no way around that. Nobody … (7 comments)

You Can Get the Conveniences of City Living in a Short Sale in Cameron Park, Plus a Deer - 09/24/11 09:56 AM
I closed a short sale in Elk Grove yesterday and a short sale in Lincoln the day before that. There is something odd about both of these Sacramento short sales. something they both share in common. Both of these homes have a ton of upgrades that were not reflected in the sales price. Stuff the original sellers paid through the nose to get when they bought. Because upgrades is where the money is for builders.
All of those amenities -- elevation, plantation shutters, stainless appliances, oiled bronze, crown molding, CAT-5, stain finish, natural wood upgrades, tumbled stone, stained glass, slab granite, … (6 comments)

A Home for Security-Conscious Buyers in Rancho Cordova is Offered as a Short Sale - 09/23/11 10:13 AM
There are days I suspect I'd be better off if I did not answer my phone. I know I'd get more work done instead of pacing the floor as I speak. I can't just sit in my chair and talk. I don't know why.
I must be mobile and moving. It helps me to focus. Or, maybe it's just my passion for Sacramento short sales coupled with the injustice I see in banking corporate systems -- the way they treat their customers -- that causes the need for constant movement when talking.
Beats banging my head back and forth in the … (6 comments)

How AMS Avoids Approving Bank of America Short Sales and a New Short Sale in Anatolia - 09/22/11 10:17 AM
I received two short sale approval letters yesterday. These were both preapproved HAFA short sales that Bank of America had farmed out to AMS Loan Servicing. They were approved for HAFA in June, sold in June and sat at AMS since then. The way they were handled seemed as though the negotiators would open the file and try to figure out what they could do to stop from having to work on it.
If they could ask for a tiny revision, they could close the file. That would free up their time so they go back to Facebook to chat with … (4 comments)

The Best Time to List and Sell a Short Sale - 09/21/11 09:43 AM
I was reading Valarie Swanson's post this morning about short sale timelines and realized I do have something to add that conversation. That's how it goes with most articles I write. Many outside influences trigger thoughts about short sales. It seems to be in my dna, and part of the reason that I've become so successful at being a Sacramento short sale agent.
Believe me, it wasn't a title I intended to obtain for myself, but over the years, it's turned out that way. People tell me how brilliant they think I am because I headed into the short sale pool … (6 comments)

How Hard Is It to Get a Loan to Buy a Sacramento Short Sale? - 09/20/11 10:02 AM
In many Sacramento neighborhoods right now, we have a shortage of inventory. That means there are few homes on the market. If your short sale is on the market in a neighborhood with limited inventory, you should be getting showings. If you're getting showings, you should be getting offers. Fall is a hot market in Sacramento.
But what if you're trying to buy a short sale? You could be up against multiple offers. It is not unusual for a seller of a well staged short sale to receive more than one offer. In these instances, a seller can be selective and … (5 comments)

Photos of My Trip to Alcatraz Island - 09/19/11 10:38 AM

I'm not one of those agents who carts around a bucket list in her head or on paper. That's probably because concerning most things, if I want to do them, I do them. I've been that way my entire life. I have a unique ability. I say "unique" because I know a lot of people who can't do it. That unique ability is to grab a thought and act on it. I can grab A and intuitively can map out a plan to get to Z. Then, off I go.
Maybe that's part of what makes me a good Sacramento … (16 comments)

Speechless Sunday -- Or You'll Have to Guess Where I Went This Weekend - 09/18/11 09:57 PM

 This is my speechless Sunday submission. It's somewhere in California. Photo: by Rose Mary Swart.
… (6 comments)

How Many Land Park Homeowners Own a Gun? - 09/17/11 10:50 AM
I don't know of any homeowners in Land Park who own a gun. I suspect that guns are sort of a rarity in this neighborhood. I don't own one, and I live in Land Park. None of my neighbors has a gun, I don't think. I'm not really gung ho on guns. Although I did have a bit of change of heart after reading Deer Hunting With Jesus. Or, at least I understand the need of some people to own guns.
But you go to a rural place like Galt, and lots of homeowners have guns. Heck, many homeowners in Galt … (13 comments)

The Secret to a Long Life is 1 of 2 Things, and Here is a Short Sale in Natomas - 09/16/11 11:12 AM
There is a cute interview in the Sacramento Bee this morning with a couple of women who are 101. The Bee asked them not once but twice for the secret to a long life. I wonder if it's because The Bee did not like the first answer, which was playing Bingo.
Before you laugh, there is really nothing wrong with Bingo. It's a game you don't play by yourself. You play with other people. It's competitive. If you're using multiple cards, I imagine it involves organization and having a system in place.
Not to mention, it's probably a hoot to yell … (7 comments)

Here Are Some of the Problems With AMS and Bank of America Preapproved HAFA Short Sales - 09/15/11 10:30 AM
There is an enormous benefit for me as a writer about homebuying for About.com and also working in the short sale business. That benefit means that I can talk first-hand about the horrid problems with short sales. I'm down in the trenches with all the short sale agents. I share the pain.
A client told me yesterday that she has no idea how I manage to do my job amid the frustration, incompetence and downright lack of human intelligence available in the short sale sphere. I have a sense of humor. That's how I do it. And I don't expect too … (11 comments)

It's All in How You Look At Your Life, Which Could Be in the Sacramento Area of Rancho Cordova - 09/14/11 09:57 AM
Whenever you think you've got it rough, you don't have to look very far to find somebody else who has it worse by comparison. It's all in your perspective. Of course, if you live in Sacramento, you'll find plenty of unemployed people, my journalist husband included. If you live in Detroit, where our nation's foreclosure rate soars, you could be like Detroit homeowner Texana Hollis. She's 101, and just got thrown out of her home of 58 years, evicted, with all of her belongings dumped in the street like garbage.
Her son apparently did her in by taking out a reverse … (4 comments)

If You Have Important News, Just Pick Up the Damn Phone and Call, Why Doncha? - 09/13/11 09:18 AM
You hear about kids breaking off relationships with each other via texting, but they have an excuse. They are clueless kids. Or their parents didn't teach them better manners. However, when we get older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that there are certain situations in which picking up the phone and making that personal call is required. It's not always appropriate to email or text.
For example, as a Sacramento short sale agent, when I receive a short sale approval letter from my seller's bank, I generally call the seller to share the news. It's a milestone. Sometimes, in the short … (9 comments)

If You're a Buyer for a Short Sale in Sacramento, Come Over and Sit Down By Me - 09/12/11 10:16 AM
Even though I am just a Sacramento short sale agent, I still follow up on my listings after agents show them. That act seems to surprise some buyer's agents. I guess they think a short sale doesn't deserve the same kind of attention that a regular equity listing does, but that's probably why they are buyer's agents and not a Sacramento short sale agent. All sellers deserve follow up. I send feedback -- whether it's good or bad -- just so my sellers know what's going on.
Yesterday, an agent asked me if her buyer could offer substantially less for a … (9 comments)

I Would Not Be in Sacramento Without September 11th, 2001 - 09/11/11 10:54 AM
My eyes tear up every time I watch a video or see a picture of the WTC on September 11, 2001. I'm not much different than anybody else in America. That tragic event has affected every single one of us. No one was left untouched. Not one person. I don't care who you are or where you live, September 11th has changed all of us.
I was at the doctor's office the morning of September 11, 2001. I don't listen to the radio, so I didn't know what had happened. Nobody watches TV at the doctor's. The doctor took a blood … (6 comments)

There is Something Fishy Going on With That Short Sale - 09/10/11 11:07 AM
Every so often I get the delicious opportunity to list and sell a Sacramento short sale that is in extremely high demand. The home is in high demand because of location and condition. It could have expensive upgrades or be unique. Whatever it is, those types of homes tend to receive multiple offers. That's because many buyers want homes like that. They go nuts.
Sometimes the price is at a particular point that also drives buyers insane. The price point could be a break-even point for investors. It means investors can get positive cash flow. If investors are receiving positive cash … (51 comments)

It Wasn't My Sacramento Short Sale That Went to Foreclosure - 09/09/11 10:20 AM
This may come as a shock to some of you, but I actually do turn off my computer at night. I do not sleep with my mouse under my pillow. My neck does not have a USB connection.
I realize that I tend to freak out prospective clients when I pick up the phone and call them within minutes of receiving an email. Barring that, I return emails almost immediately, providing I am not with a client. Well, unless my client is somewhere in Iraq, and I have a few of those in military service.
But sometimes I feel almost apologetic … (7 comments)

Weintraub is Not Too Busy to Handle Your Sacramento Short Sale - 09/08/11 10:16 AM
A prospective short sale seller told me yesterday that everywhere she goes online to read about short sales, she finds this Sacramento short sale agent. She asked if I was too busy to work with her. Then she answered her own question. She said, "Well, you've been talking to me for 45 minutes, so I guess you have time."
The thing is I make time. I weave it out of thin air. Not really. But I am selective as to which short sales I accept. I prefer to list those that will close. Call me silly, but that approach seems to … (2 comments)

There is a Trick to Maintaining that Sacramento Short Sale Home - 09/07/11 09:59 AM
It's the law of the short sale universe, I suppose. That law is all I have to do is go out of town and short sale approval letters will arrive. Make that a holiday, like Labor Day, and those letters will multiply. What are those negotiators doing, do you wonder? They should be taking off, kicking back, grilling food black, instead of knocking out short sale approval letters, but there you go. They just found another way to irritate a Sacramento short sale agent. One more notch in their belt or cartoony-scratchy mark on the side of their car door.
But … (5 comments)

When the Boom Goes Bust, You're Left With Big Holes in Neighborhoods - 09/06/11 10:38 AM
It's not unusual to own two cars, if you live in Minnesota. You have your summer vehicle and your winter car. This is a photo of the winter version. I found it over on "Eat Street," Nicollet Avenue by 28th.
This area was just beginning to boom when I left Minneapolis for good. Dozens of new restaurants, lots of new construction. When I first moved to Whittier, all of my friends thought I was nuts. It was much tonier to live in the Wedge or Kenwood or Uptown. Or near Lake of the Isles, like Mary Tyler Moore. Sane people did … (5 comments)

California Isn't the Only Place Where You Can Stand in Line at Midnight at 7-11 - 09/05/11 10:54 AM
When some things change, other things stay the same, thank goodness. Sure, Minneapolis finally fixed that horrible Crosstown / 35W interchange. I heard that for a while they had you going to the left, and then a while later you were going to the right, as though the planners could not decide which way they wanted you to go. Sorta like a short sale negoiator at AMS, working on behalf of Bank of America.
Back in the old days, I was hit by a driver going east on the Crosstown Highway. It used to be you had until you reached the … (3 comments)

A Great Thing About the Minnesota State Fair is the Fact You Are Not Those Other People - 09/04/11 10:06 AM
One of the really great things about going to the Minnesota State Fair is the opportunity to watch people. It's not that people are so darn fascinating. It's that you can look at somebody else and be thankful that you are not them. So many people covet what others have. They are envious of a person's house or the neighborhood where somebody else lives. They wish they had that woman's hair or that guy's car or that girl's complexion. Go to the State Fair in Minnesota, though, and you'll feel inherently much better about yourself, by comparison.
There was so much … (8 comments)

We Are All Connected by Real Estate - 09/03/11 10:41 AM
Preserving historic structures seems to become more important to me the older I become. There is something unnerving about driving around a city where I grew up, like Minneapolis, and not recognizing entire intersections. That's because life goes on without you. No big surprise there. However, if a bunch of buildings and homes have vanished, it's like part of your own life has been erased as well. Because real estate creates memories, and memories validate your life. We are all connected by real estate.
I understand now why my mother used to drag us kids to places like Nankin or The … (5 comments)

When It Is 95 in Minneapolis, You Don't Want Your Body Parts to Touch Anybody Else's Body Parts - 09/02/11 09:21 AM
When you get off the plane in Minneapolis, which you boarded in Sacramento, the humidity hits you like a ton of bricks. I have lived in Sacramento for 9 years now. I have taken dry heat for granted. It's like you don't even notice it. I mean, I'll be out in the back yard yanking a few weeds out of the garden when all of a sudden beads of perspiration will roll down the side of my face. I'll think: what is that? Where did that come from? Oh, yeah, right, it's 95; I forgot.
You don't forget when it's 95 … (9 comments)

Job Security as a Sacramento Short Sale Agent and a New Short Sale in Antelope - 09/01/11 10:22 AM
I am sometimes so focused on a seller's hardship letter that I might blurt out something I should not say. A seller might tell me that his job transferred him to the East Coast, which means he has to uproot his family, tear his kids away from their friends and school, and move to some horribly distant and barren land. And I'll say: "Perfect; that's great!" Then, I find myself backpeddling to explain why I said that because I would hate to come across as a person without compassion.
Because the truth is I do care. I am saddened by the … (0 comments)

 
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Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento Short Sale Agent, Land Park, East Sac, Lyon RE

Sacramento, CA

More about me…

Top 1% at Lyon Real Estate #00697006

Address: 2801 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95816

Office Phone: (916) 233-6759

Cell Phone: (916) 233-6759

Email Me

Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate, midtown Sacramento. Selling since 1974. Home Buying Guide at About.com. Sacramento short sale agent.
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Author Bio: Elizabeth Weintraub is a Sacramento real estate broker, author, home buying guide for About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully closes short sales throughout Sacramento four-county area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.

 


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