Working listings that turn to Short Sale Files 

I have had a closing delayed so many times on one property the buyer and seller had nearly given up!

The buyer had credit approval from the lender....then...thinking of reducing debt, paid off a credit card to help the score more!  Wrong...it lowered the score by 6 points because the buyer didn't have as much available credit any longer.  One of those new quirks to credit score ratings.  So we extended the close waiting for another car payment to increase the buyers credit score high enough to re-qualify.  We extended the close because the buyers offer was such a good offer. 

So the seller decides without discussion or council to turn off the utilities because they are sure the sale will happen.  Since this is a short sale....the lender files an abandoned property affidavit, to get possession of the property in 30 days.  The issue is, the property is not abandoned...the seller has furniture...gets their mail there...they are trying to save money.  The seller moves into the parents second home, furnished, also located on a lake for the summer.

The reason the lender filed an affidavit of abandonment...the seller didn't tell me,  they additionally decided to  not to make their house payments either.  So Now my short sale moves into a possible foreclosure.   Shot me now....

Since this has gone back and forth for months, the seller dejected...the buyer having troubles the likelihood of closing getting dimmer by the minute...I press the lender to make a decision on the buyers credit...or suggest another lender with different guidelines. 

It works, the lender waives a few little nagging issues and the buyer is ready to go.

Now the sellers mortgage holder won't respond because of the pending foreclosure action.  I sent five emails....nothing.  I mail five phone calls leaving messages....nothing.

I decide to go over the head of the mitigation processor and contact the head account executive.  I forward my buy/sell, the addendum's, appraisal and it is 38 pages...of course I throw in 20 emails and my phone log copy...the mortgage holder thinks it is snowing paperwork on this case file.

I must have rubbed a magic lantern...I get a response...they are sorry...when can we close?

I prayed before calling all the parties that nothing had changed...

The close date is set....now everyone has to maintain status quo and this is a done deal!

Not so fast sunshine....the new last minute appraisal dropped the homes value again....we have a new sell price...great now what will the mortgage holder do?  Better yet there is a second...they get less too!

I worked that out too....but remember this was a short sale...now a foreclosure and it could have all been done if the first mitigation file manager had done their job.

Lenders don't want these files...they want their books clear.  The tarp fund has created a bit more mud in the water but the bottom line.  Stick with the file and keep great records, while you are working your normal listings,  you will get more closings and more referrals.

Have any delay stories to share?

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699     Local: 616-784-2360     Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

The "New" stimulus package could make the difference in helping you decide to sell.

It might not have been right to sell before BUT now it could be "Just The Right Time"!  To put a sold sign in your yard!

Why?

The Exiting Homeowner - Buyer Stimulus package may make the difference for you.  If you have owned your home as a primary residence and lived in your home 5 consecutive of the last 8 years you could get up to a $6500.00 Buyers Tax Credit.  This means you can sell your home...get the home you need or want and get a tax credit for buying it after you sell!

You still have to use your good credit and have a 3.5% down payment to get another FHA loan but your current home most likely will have the equity for you to do that. 

A First Time Buyer may be interested in your home and you move to the home of your dreams and get a tax credit too!  What more of an incentive do you want to make the right move at the right time?

The first time home buyer can get up to $8000.00 as a tax credit.  Making your home affordable and in demand.

So why is it such a good time to buy or upgrade to the home of your dreams?  Besides the tax credit that you could qualify to receive?

Simple, in most markets home prices have not been lower in decades!  The interest rates are still at all time lows as well. 

This Means Two Things

•1.   Price right and sell fast for Top Dollar!

•2.   Buy Lower and enjoy the home of your dreams for nearly the same payment as you are making
         now, for a home that no longer meets your needs!

Want to know what your home is worth before you make a selling decision? 

No problem CLICK the Link MY HOMES VALUE and I will send you a Real Value Estimate.

Want to know what homes have sold for around you before calling for a comprehesive, pressure free, selling analysis? 

No Problem CLICK the Link RECENT HOME SALES.

If you are out of the Grand Rapids Real Estate Market or not close to any of our West Michigan Offices or in Another State....I will refer you to a Professional in Your Area who is honest, open and willing to help you meet your goals.

It may be exactly the right time for you to sell your home and qualify for a tax credit at the same time.

  Did you ever think you would get paid for selling your home?  Just think, the money you get with the tax credit may cover most or all of your selling costs!

The Right Time - The Right Price! © 2009

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699     Local: 616-784-2360 
Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

AgentGenius Magazine rated the Active Rain Bloggers.

The article was posted October 23, 2009.  Here is the link http://agentgenius.com/g-rants-insanity-more/real-estate/51-top-ranking-activerain-com-real-estate-blogs/

I know based on a number score how I rate.  That has very little to do with how effective your blog is and the viewership....is viewership a word?  It is now!  :-)

I received a nice email from a client that told me about the article.  I had no idea my blog had reached #23 in Active Rain.  That has very little to do with issues that I write about...or pod-casting, videos or any of the issues you would think would make a blog rate.

The issue of being rated in anything that is titled AgentGenius is a bit laughable to me.  If you know me personally...I won't WOW you with fancy words, in fact I am engaging...open...intent.  If I do say so myself.

I paddle everyday for all I'm worth and enjoy life so enjoy my only magazine cover shot....I made it myself!

The fact that I have fun with my clients and business is almost difficult for some to understand in a business and economy so decimated with foreclosures and family hardships.

So to believe the rating of this Internet magazine is hard for me to understand.  I know the 139 blogs I follow on Active Rain are superb.  Many are on the list as well.  Their blogs are a cut above and should be recognized.

Take a quick look and you will see it has nothing to do with points.  It has nothing to do with pod-casting, videos or the things you would suspect would place people high on the list.  It is content...it is engaging the reader so they comment.

It is sharing so readers connect and come back.  People come and go from blog sites.  They read you for awhile and then go away....then they come back.  It is interesting how blogs flow. 

So many great articles have been written on how to blog and gain readership here on Active Rain it is hardly worth me adding my two cents. 

Here it is anyway and might be worth more than two cents to some. 

Many just don't have the time or patience to develop a blog that is as rewarding to write as it is to read.  Sounds simple and it is...just write engaging posts with content.  It works everytime.

Now you want to know how I rated #23?  It was simple they did the ratings by state in Alphabetical order!  Michigan is #23 in the order "M"...I knew you would wonder about the number system.  If I kept you reading this long....you found out.  If you skimmed the page and commented you will never know!

Thanks for visiting my blog. 

The reality of the economy is starting to show in our commercial market.

Small business owners are resilient.  They work more hours, they change faster to keep business going.

Small business owners drop employees to reduce payroll.  Before they cut an employee they look for other cuts first.  Most small business owners become friends with their employee because of the more hands-on approach.  Small business owners cut personal items and services to meet existing payroll.  They cut budgets to survive.  As a last resort they cut staff.

It isn't a stimulus package that is going to keep their doors open.  It is doing business and making the monthly payment on the building and equipment.  Paying for inventory.  No wonder the current administration's policies have not been accepted with open arms.  It hits the core of small business owners. 

This morning I received another call....a local small business owner wants to must sell his commercial property.  At this point he wants to survive.  He can always buy another building. 

A beautiful building with two drive in doors 10' x 14 approximately 3000 sq. ft. building.  It is close to a major artery and within view of a very high traffic street.  It is perfect for a service business.  It was perfect for him...but the economy has caused his business to slow. 

He serves the construction industry...which currently has so few starts that lawn sprinkling installations are not like they were 2 or 3 years ago....or 5 when getting up early and home late was normal.  It's painful to go from 14 employees to two.  (Him and his Wife)

Small business owners are the largest job producing sector in the US.  Small business is also one of the most fragile business sectors because they usually don't have a lot of working capital.  The ones that do have, worked so hard they tend to reward themselves after years of hard work.  Who wouldn't reward themselves for a job well done?

The problem is, if you rewarded yourself with a new home, boat or second home just before the recession hit....you may not be able to afford your rewards any longer.  If you viewed your business as many small owners do.... to grow you need to get bigger.  Buying a larger building with long term growth in mind, could be your undoing in this economy and the recession that has ensued.

How are small businesses fairing in your community?

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360  Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Keeping elderly relatives and friends active is a live saving gesture.  For you and them!

We don't think about how important that hug or gesture can be to our elderly relatives and friends. 

As we age....it changes their mobility, their world.  Some people meet for coffee at the local coffee shops others meet for lunch, others never see anyone except on special occasions.

I watched my parents change before my eyes...both are gone now but the memories are vivid.  I watch as others around me crumble into a shell of what they used to be.  Mostly from inactivity.

Keeping them active and needed brings a smile to their faces...being included is all it takes.  Each person has a level of contribution they can commit too.

My father-in-law has dementia.  He recently went through hip replacement, kind of a double whammy!

We own a large home on two acres of land in a subdivision.  It is a bit unusual to have the privacy and access to services all rolled into one.  We chose to live here for this and many other reasons.

We also have a vast amount of landscaping, along with a waterfall and pond with a few small fish....if the Sand Hill Crane doesn't snack on them.

This has become my father-in-laws haven.  We kid him about our rose bushes...singing his name in the wind when they need pruned.  We have bushes, pampas grass, raspberries, grapes and needing his loving hand.

I put my arm around him yesterday thanking him for all the work and time he spends in our yard.  He looked at me with a look of disbelief...not that I never thank....instead his disbelief was how could I thank him for something he loves to do?

This is what keeps him going.  Coming to our home is his private sanctuary.  Trimming these bushes is his way of helping and extending the love back to us for all we have done for him. 

I must admit my wife helps him be a bit naughty too.  He gets little rewards that he normally can't have.  My mother-in-law watches his diet like a hawk.  He has some blood pressure issues, cholesterol problems and a couple other issues.

So being naughty means he might be rewarded with a small dish of ice cream with fudge on it.  He might get a pizza for lunch delivered from one of our local Italian favorite restaurants.

He might get a cup of coffee and a roll (low fat!) he wouldn't normally have.  Everything in moderation of course.

The point is....keeping him active and involved is keeping him alive and useful.  When people no longer feel useful is when they slip in health, mind and soon are gone.

Keep your loved ones, friends active and involved.  You'll be able to enjoy them and them you for years to come.

If you don't have someone to help keep active, volunteer you will be rewarded with smiles and a relationship opportunity to cherish the rest of your life.

How have keeping your loved ones and friends active workded for you?

Your Real Estate Professional, to Sell Your Expired MLS Listing!

Many people think because there home expired it isn't going to sell.  That is the farthest thing from the truth.

Expired listings happen for a number of reasons.  Here is the top 10 reasons homes don't sell.

1. You didn't have a marketing plan to sell.
2. Lack of Experience by your former agent.
3. Condition, outside, roof, exterior finish, inside...bathrooms, flooring, heating, electrical, plumbing, paint and cosmetics
4. Location
5. Priced wrong for your market.
6. Home not accessible to show
7. Layout
8. Yard Size....some homes have very small yards or no yards, and the majority of buyers want some elbow room.
9. Curb Appeal...turns buyers off when they drive up to the home.
10. Communication and lack of willingness to negotiate.

So if your listing expired and you don't understand why, it isn't your home....unless you can see items on the list above.

Once your listing expires you will get a pile of fancy letters from Realtors.  They will tell you why your home didn't sell.  Yet they have never sold a home in your neighborhood.  Others will blame your former Realtor for lack of marketing or experience or both.

Sometimes homes just don't sell.  But there is ALWAYS a reason. 

You may not like the reason but there is a reason.  Usually it is a combination of issues that impact the reason a home did not sell.

My number one reason is communication between the agent and seller.  Being honest, discussing openly the need to sell and preparing a marketing plan to meet that need.  Communication to make adjustments early in the selling process.  Meaning if you set an initial sell price and nothing happens....make adjustments.

Your home or business is going to sell for more in the first month of your listing contract.  Take advantage of the selling traffic.  If you price high at first you will miss you best opportunity to sell fast and for the most money.  Most sellers and agents miss this golden....Price Right, Sell Fast....make More Money.

You may think that reduces the agents efforts...that couldn't be more wrong.  The fact that the agent helped you with great market pricing analysis and suggested a sell price that worked meant...the agent did their job.....exactly right!

How much does it cost you to not sell?  Interest, taxes, profit and missed opportunity to have what you really want.  You have decided to sell for a reason.  Now make your decision happen.

Choose the best agent for you...one that communicates, has knowledge and will openly discuss your situation.

The results will make you smile....all the way to the bank!

Your listing expired?  Want Professional Help?  Live in my area?  Give me a call, we'll set an appointment to meet your needs. 

Live in another area?  Call me...I will be glad to refer you to a Professional in your area to get your home SOLD!

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360    Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

Many of us look months out to see what our expected sales are going to by by month, week and day.

Seems like a bit of over anxiousness....in reality it is just business management.

Every November I can count on a surge in sales calls.  It is like clockwork. 

How can I plan so precisely?

Simple, we have dear season here and the 15th of November is opening day of hunting season. 

A large percentage of the Realtors head off in search of a deer.  My phones ring more while they are gone.  They turn off their phones or have them forwarded to voice mail. 

I can count on people not to be patient.  They don't get an answer they move on...fast and find someone that will answer their questions and show them properties.

This also means an increase in car-deer accidents.  So if you live in Michigan or another state where a large game hunting season opens use caution on the highways.  We have an increased number of cars from neighboring states as well which increased the normal accident rates.

Some communities open their doors to the hunters while other dread the thought.  The alcohol consumption also increase during this time.

And all I thought about was the increased calls to show homes?  Interesting how calendar events can affect your business.

Have anything that creates more business for you?

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699    Local: 616-784-2360    Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

I live in a subdivision...but my home is one of three on a cul-de-sac with 2 acres of privacy.  The other two homes face away from me and minimal angles of viewing to my backyard.

I also look over a valley on homes below, some 400 hundred plus yards away.  A lot was recently sold down in the valley street.  Neighbors with land adjoining the new neighbors lot started scurrying to create privacy once the builder started construction. 

One neighbor put in a invisible fence so their dog won't do his duty in the old field area that is now the neighbors new construction site.

Another neighbor planted trees along the lot line to make sure the new neighbor knew where his property ended.

The builder has made several issues with people along the lot line which has become a subject of debate.  For example the builder put drain title toward the back of the new owners lot leading water away from the walkout basement.  Sound like a good thing...until you understand the water is being diverted to the edge of the other existing neighbors lot.

Upon further investigation by a neighbor he find out that an easement exists that the builder knew about for run-off water.  They had a few words over this issue before the builder told the existing homeowner to take it up with township planning.

That prompted the other neighbor to plant trees.  I have seen fences go up when a new neighbor moves in next door to an existing neighbor without finding out who is moving in or what they are like.

I have seen thorn bushes planted because the last neighbors kid climbed the fence.  So the existing neighbor is are going to make sure the new neighbor, if they have children, won't climb the fence.

Buying and selling is like choosing your relatives you never know who you are going to get!  I talked to a seller's neighbor recently when I had a buyer interested in a property.  He tells me...hope these people are more friendly than the last ones!  I have lived here 30 years never had anyone throw their leafs and snow on my property before.  "I hadn't spoke to them in 5 years"....."when they moving", was his next question.

I like my neighbors...but I must admit I don't see them much. 

What about you?

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360    Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com

For some reason people don't think sharing complete information with the their agents is necessary.

Even in the disclosure process many sellers do not want to share the whole truth.

Agents have legal and ethical issues they face if they knowingly contribute to falsification of disclosures. 

I have had clients make representations which were not lies...in fact they didn't really know the correct answer.  The problem is as, a professional, I could see the material flaw (problem) but am not licensed to definitively state the electrical outlet that was charred black should be replaced.  That is for an inspection company or electrician to decide.

I can see rust stains on a furnace but cannot tell you the air conditioning line is leaking unless I visually see a leak, even then it might not be the air conditioner...it could be the humidifier.

What I can tell you is if the seller moves and turns off the electricity...I should be told.  If the seller stops making payments and I read in the legal news a foreclosure process has been started that would be nice to know so I can adjust how we sell.

Buyers do things that hurt their opportunities to buy just like sellers hurt their options to sell.  Buyers can make a purchase that reduces their credit score.  Dropping them below the credit score minimum requirements to get a loan.  It may not be much.  I had a client drop 10 points below for canceling a credit card.  I have had others that bought new vehicles to go with their new house before close.

It seems silly but sharing information...all of it with your Realtor could save you a sale or purchase.  It could also save you disappointment.  Being open and honest with the professional helping you is built on trust.  If you don't feel you can trust your agent....you have the wrong agent. 

What have you had happen to you?

Live in Grand Rapids or West Michigan area, not under contract?  Like to sell or buy a home....give me a call.  It could save you thousands in your next real estate transaction.  Always confidential, Never Pressured.

"Help is only a Call or Click away!"©2006-2009

Call Toll Free:  877-667-4699
Local: 616-784-2360    Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com