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Thinking About Becoming A Pescatarian - 02/24/12 12:47 PM

 
I know what you're thinking....sounds fishy, right?
"Karen....are you about to make a VERY clever analogy about Mission Viejo Real Estate?"
Nope...tired of meat.
Well, not beef ribs from Lucille's in Lake Forest, California. Not THAT meat. But other meat....chicken and steaks and burgers. Ok, not In-and-Out Burgers, there is one in Mission Viejo off of Avery Parkway. They are incredible.
But I'm serious! I've been living on Fish Tacos from Rubio's. I try and stick to the Grilled Mahi-Mahi, but I am hooked on the Battered Original Baha Fish Taco....I mean really, really good.
I also found some … (7 comments)

"I'm A Cash Buyer.....Let's Write An Offer" - 02/24/12 12:21 PM

 
The phone call we all want to get:
"Hi, I'm a cash buyer. I know you don't know me, but I found you on Active Rain. I wandered into an open house today and have to have this home. I talked to the listing agent, there are no other offers and I'd like to write an offer over asking price....just to make sure.
Can you help me?"
WAKE UP!!!!!
Sure the above might sound like the perfect Mission Viejo Buyer. Alright, that is a perfect buyer....but there are many other perfect buyers also. They just might take some … (6 comments)

FHA Proposed Rule To Reduce Seller Concessions - 02/24/12 11:42 AM
Isn't there any intelligence in Washington? I'm not a conspiracy person....but am I the only one who thinks that HUD holds meetings just to come up with new ways to hurt the housing market and decrease home ownership?
Via Roy Kelley, Montgomery County, MD Homes For Sale (Roy Kelley and RE/MAX Realty Group):
FHA Proposed Rule To Reduce Seller Concessions
HUD published a request for comments (due in 30 days, by March 26) on their revised changes to policies for seller concessions. The new proposal is to limit seller concessions as follows:
Reduces the amount of permitted seller concessions to 3% or $6,000, whichever is … (1 comments)

Comparing Apples To Pears - 02/22/12 05:59 PM

 
I know...typically this would be apples and oranges, but the only graphic I could find has a pear instead. At first I thought, "this doesn't make any sense"! Then I started to think about it, and actually it's a pretty good analogy.
Every buyer wants to know if the home they are considering is a good value. Of course they do....but how to tell these days?
I hear all the time from these self-comping (is that even a word) buyers; they are using "comps" from Zillow, they are checking "solds" from Trulia, they are seeing "current" price-per-square-footage from Redfin. … (46 comments)

"Stick'um Up.....Or Else!!! I'm Your Short Sale Negotiator" - 02/20/12 05:46 PM

 
 
Short Sale Negotiators have a tough job! There are several reasons for this.
1) They have to try to make sense of home values and offers from all over the country. They often rely on the "opinion" of a local agent. The BPO (Broker's Price Opinion) written by an agent they do not know and who may or may not be familiar with that area.
2) They are victims of the method the listing agent uses and/or state laws. Some agents will submit multiple offers....giving the negotiator a lot of extra work, sorting through offers which could be … (7 comments)

Banks Paying Off Homeowners To Get Them To Walk Away - 02/20/12 04:41 PM
If you are considering a short sale...this is a great post for you to consider. The key is to find a listing agent who can find these opportunities for you and help you take full advantage. 
Via Gina Lemos-Orange County CA Real Estate Agent & Multi State Mortgage Bankers (North Orange County CA Real Estate Specialists):
Read This Before You Rip Up A Letter Offering You Money To Walk Away From Your Orange County CA Home
Have you received a letter stating that you could walk away from your home, chalk up your mortgage to a bad nightmare, AND your lender would send … (3 comments)

My 26-Year Old Baby.....Happy Birthday Sweetie - 02/16/12 03:45 PM

 
 
This little guy....sweet baby face is 26 years old today.
I love this picture, it was the day I really started living life. The day I truly fell in love. At 7:30am on February 16, 1986 I realized that nothing I had ever done before mattered at all; Not where I'd been, nor who I'd been with, nor what I owned, nor anything at all.
I became a mommy that day!
Since then, I've added 4 other sweet-loves to my life and each one has been as wonderful. Yet there is something magical in the first time … (12 comments)

Agressive Agents.....Pitbull vs Professional - 02/16/12 03:21 PM

 
I had a listing presentation this week. This was a good old fashioned equity seller....remember those? The ones who really cared about what the sales price turned out to be? I love those.
The seller has owned the house for over 15 years; that's a lifetime when it comes to real estate markets. Naturally he had a lot of questions about how to effectively sell his Mission Viejo home.
"How agressive are you in your representation?"
Not that unusual of a question. Buyers and sellers both want to know that their agent is going to represent them and their … (128 comments)

Mission Viejo Hosts The Finacial Recovery Workshop - 02/15/12 03:29 PM

 
Orange County California has been hit with the Housing Crisis as much as the rest of the country. Foreclosures, Short Sales.....many Mission Viejo families have had to deal with these realities. During the process, so many times the home owner is just trying to get through the day, and the transaction. But what happens after it's over?
Financial Recovery!
After you complete a foreclosure....or hopefully a short sale....you then need to reassess and recover. Now is the time to make good decisions to rebuild your credit. The City of Mission Viejo can help!
On March 15, 2012, the City … (2 comments)

California Short Sale Sellers....Do Not Be Intimidated, You Have Rights - 02/15/12 02:54 PM

 
Today my negotiation team and I had a shocking conversation with a short sale negotiator representing Specialized Loan Service (SLS). The negotiator threatened to contact the seller and threaten (his word) into offering something to make this deal work....or force (his word) the agents to pay from commission.
THREATEN!!
Wow....I was stunned!
Now for starters...In California, this is illegal! A law passed this past summer, SB458, the short sale sellers cannot be asked to contribute money, or promise of money, in exchange for a short sale approval. Additionally, it extends the anti-deficiency protection for sellers on all loans, not … (4 comments)

I Know That's Not What You Wanted To Hear - 02/09/12 05:55 PM

 
 
I feel like so much of my time these days is giving bad news to good people! It's tough! Buyers and sellers are getting bad news from me. But honest news.
Short Sale Sellers are hearing:
The home value is so low that they have to do a short sale The Short Sale "might" result in an income tax bill There is a sale date scheduled The buyer walked Equity Sellers are hearing:
The real value of their home, not what they wish it were The home down the street is listed 30% less because it is a … (78 comments)

Please Reblog - Gail Wants Her ASUS Zenbook Back! - 02/03/12 10:54 AM
I support this media campaign to make ASUS do the right thing. It shouldn't be about public pressure, it should be about customer service! I stand behind what I do....I bet you do also. It's not about what I promise in writing, it's about my reputation. ASUS got a quick sale from Gail? but will not have any more from any of us. Too bad.
Via Gail Robinson, Black Rock CT Real Estate blackrockhomesforsale.com (William Raveis Real Estate, Southport, CT):
For those of you considering buying an ASUS Zenbook, I want to share my experience to save you the pain I've been through.  … (3 comments)

One Man's Change Is Another Man's ......Something - 02/03/12 10:50 AM

 
 
Change, Change, Change
This is a major theme here on Active Rain lately, actually for as long as I can remember. I joined in January 2009 and I think they were talking about it back then also. (Can it really be 3 years already?)
As a people, we like things to stay within our comfort zone. The ironic thing is that Active Rain is filled with the most technologically advanced group of real estate professionals out there. Post after post about new tools, Internet sites and SEO techniques populate the blog roll daily. We are an advanced bunch.
… (9 comments)

I'm In A Really, Really, REALLY Bad Mood.....Hopefully You'll Never Know It - 02/02/12 10:43 AM

 
 
My dog is just staring at me from outside. She wants inside so badly...normally she sits at my feet while I do my morning work. Not today, I might just kick her.
I'm in a really bad mood!
There isn't a particular reason for it. It's not because I was having a nice dream when the alarm went off. It's not because I had to wake up my son who slept through his alarm. It's not because I had to gather my husband's clothes off the floor just to brush my teeth.
My husband thinks he knows the … (17 comments)

 
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