Life In Southeast Oklahoma

Do You Reblog? Why or Why Not? My Reasons For Re-Blogging.

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:37:10 -0600

When Active Rain first came out with the ability to re-blog, I wasn't sure that I liked the idea... I'm always just a tad cautious about new things and need a little time to think about it or get used to it.

Quickly though I realized that others were writing stuff that my clients would or could benefit from if they read it... articles about topics that those writers were much better qualified to write and may have just said it better than I had.

So I started re-blogging.

Since there are mortgage people here on Active Rain that are writing some really great blogs about all of the ins and outs of mortgages, I sometimes re-blog a mortgage post. It compliments the topics that I choose to write about.

Ditto for staging. My clients could really benefit from good staging articles and we have some of the best stagers in the world right here writing about it. So I re-blog staging articles. And home inspection articles, AND appraisal articles.

Sometimes someone posts an article and I just flat-out do not want to lose that article and I will come back to it easier if I re-blog it into my line-up... I realize that reason for re-blogging may be a little off base but hey, it's the truth.

Sometimes I simply truly enjoy an article. It says things in ways that I want to promote...so I re-blog.

Every once in a while someone is trying to accomplish a worthwhile goal that will better accomplished if more people know about it, so I re-blog their post to bring attention to their issue.

On one re-blog, I received an email from the original blogger, compliementing me on the use of her blog. I had added a little bit to the title for a better fit to my area. I knew when I saw her photo blog that it was a great one for use around Lake Raymond Gary and I appreciate her letting me re-blog and her compliment on my use of it.

Re-blogging allows me to have a much fuller blog for my clients and customers with depth into areas where others are the expert, not me. Hopefully it will benefit my clients, my office, and the original blogger.

So my question - Why do you re-blog?

The picture of the cracked foundation is from flickr user Casey Serin. The photo is a link to the profile on flckr. The picture of the staged room is from flickr user Real Estaging. The photo is a link to their profile.

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Integrity Realty
Integrity Real Estate
Lake Raymond Gary Homes
Fort Towson Homes
Valliant Homes
McCurtain County
Choctaw County
Broken Bow Lake
Lake Raymond Gary
Raymond Gary Lake
Commercial Property List
===================================

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

What "Color Me Beautiful" Taught Me About Staging

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:33:58 -0600

We need to remind our buyers that sometimes the colors within a home are what they are reacting to when they don't like the house... not the house itself.

Via Patricia Kennedy (Evers & Company Realtors):

Many years ago, I had my colors done.

The idea is to figure out which groups and shades of colors make you look terrific, and which ones make you look like an organ donor waiting to happen. Of course, you want to go with the look-good-feel-good colors that work for you.

They say this approach is also useful when you are working on decor for your home. You get a good feeling about a room when it's decorated in your colors.

The woman who did my analysis worked for Color Me Beautiful. They divide people into one of four "seasons". And people in one season, the "Autumns" like and look good in browns, golds, maroons, olive greens, and unusual shades of other colors. But the Autumns only make up about three percent of the people on the planet!

So the other day, I showed a house where they had moved out the buyers pretty decent stuff and brought in a stager. Well, this gal must have been pure Autumn, because it was all the shades that made my buyers (she was a spring and he was a winter) just want to run out the door! Golden green couch, Chinese rugs with brown and gold patterns, and maroons swags.

"Wait!" I said. "You're reacting to the colors." And once they realized what it was, they were able to see beyond the staging and realize it was a terrific place. It's on the possible list now.

This made an impression because I am preparing to list a house that has all the wrong colors - out of That 70's Show! The seller is up for letting us consign his olive green couch to Value Village and bring one in from our staging warehouse. He's agreed to have the place painted to make the maroon walls in the master bedroom disappear and transform leaf gold dining room into an oasis of cross-season neutrality.

And to help choose the colors, I'm going to call a favorite colleague who helped me with my own house. Oh, my friend is a summer, but she's good at picking universal colors that everyone can feel comfortable around.

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Buyers in Choctaw County and McCurtain County Oklahoma - READ THIS - New Homebuyer Tax Credit Overview.

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:22:40 -0600

READ THIS= Everyone who was concerned that you were not going to find a home in time to make use of the tax credit!

Via George Souto (McCue Mortgage) FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages CT.:

As promised below is an overview and comparison between the present Tax Credit and the New. The information below was just given to us by Senator Dodd's Office.

Homebuyer Tax Credit Overview:

First‐time homebuyers (those who have not owned a principal residence in the three years prior to the purchase date of their subsequent home) are eligible for a refundable tax credit of 10 percent of the purchase price of a principal residence up to $8,000 for homes bought between January 1 and December 1, 2009.

If the home is sold within three years, the taxpayer must pay back the credit (called "recapture").

Income limits for the current credit are $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers, phasing out completely after $95,000 for individuals and $170,000 for couples. Income limits are based on Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI).

Extended and Expanded Homebuyer Tax Credit:

Extends the availability of the $8,000 first‐time homebuyer credit to taxpayers who have a principal residence under a binding contract before April 30, 2010, allowing 60 days to close.

Creates a new $6,500 credit for move‐up buyers. Move up buyers are defined as people who haveLike the credit for first‐time buyers, lived in their current home for 5 or more consecutive years during the 8 year period ending on the date of purchase of the their subsequent principal residence. this credit is available to taxpayers who have principal residences under a binding contract before April 30, 2010, allowing 60 days to close.

Raises the income limits for both the first time and move‐up buyer to $125,000 for single filers, $225,000 for joint filers with a $20,000 phase‐out. The $20,000 phaseout means that no credit can be claimed by those with MAGI above $145,000 for single filers, $245,000 married joint filers.

Both the first‐time and move‐up credit are available for principal residences with a purchase price up to $800,000. Purchase price is defined as the adjusted basis of the principle residence on the date such residence is purchased.

Includes strong anti‐fraud provisions:

Gives the Internal Revenue Service math error authority which they have requested when processing IRS form 5405. This would allow the IRS to correct certain errors during credit processing, and avoid the need for a post‐refund, labor intensive audit.

Requires a copy of the settlement statement (HUD‐1) which would verify the date of purchase, the residence address, and the purchase price.

Introduces an explicit age limitation, allowing no one under 18 to claim the credit

Excludes individuals who are claimed as dependents and married individuals who purchase the home from the family of their spouse from claiming the credit

Eliminates the recapture requirement for military personnel and members of the Foreign Service and intelligence community who are forced to sell their homes within three years as a result of an official extended duty of service. In addition, these individuals have one additional year to qualify for the credit if they served for at least 90 days outside the U.S. in 2009 or 2010.

Purchases made in 2010 can be claimed on the 2009 tax return.

The score of $10.8 billion over 10 years is paid for by a seven year delay of the worldwide allocation of interest rule until 2017, not stimulus funds.

Effective after the date of enactment.

Homebuyers who were eligible for the first‐time homebuyer tax credit pre‐WHBAA will be able to continue to claim the credit. Homebuyers who qualify for the credit under the expanded terms will only be able to claim the credit if they close on their home purchase after the date of enactment of this bill (the binding contract can be signed before enactment).

Some of this, like any new Legislation, is going to take a few days to fully understand. As further clarification is made available I will try to provide it.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Info about the author:

George Souto is a Loan Officer who can assist you with all your FHA, CHFA, and Conventional mortgage needs in Connecticut. George resides in Middlesex County which includes Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, Cromwell, Portland, Higganum, Haddam, East Haddam, Chester, Deep River, and Essex. George can be contacted at (860) 573-1308 or gsouto@mccuemortgage.com

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Free Advice For Sellers in McCurtain County and Choctaw County Oklahoma - Show Them Something They're Not Expecting

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:19:18 -0600

Sellers, LISTEN UP!
READ THIS POST.

You want to sell whether the guy down the road gets his sold or not.... it's what you want.

SO COMPETE.

Give buyers what they are looking for... cleanliness, neatness, uncluttered, a home that speaks to their heart. You want buyers to become attached to you home, to feel "at home"... so make it that way.

One of the most important things to think about is what Sharon addresses here. So you do your part and I promise I'll do my part. Clean it, organize it, stage it to put it's best foot forward and I will advertise, internetize, take great photos, virtual tours, brochures, ads, ads, ads, and will be available to show, show, show...

Let's work together to get this done!

Via Sharon Tara New Hampshire Home Stager (Sharon Tara Transformations):

It is common knowledge that you need to prepare your house for sale. You would have to be living under a rock not to know that you have to "declutter"to make your house more desirable, and it is highly unlikely that you haven't seen some form of home staging show on television.

So, I have a question for you....

What gives?

How is it possible that there are so many filthy, cluttered, poorly maintained houses out there on the market?

I'm not talking about running into one every now and then. I'm talking about more times than not...

The market is cluttered with "BEFORE" pictures!

Maybe it's just me...maybe it's the nature of my work...

I am, after all, called in to give advice. Maybe I'm only seeing the ones that really need help. Maybe I've spent too much time checking out houses on the MLS.

For those who are serious about selling their house? Here is some free advice...

Get the buyers' attention. Show them something that they are not expecting.

Surprise them!

After a long day of touring nightmares,

make your house the house of their dreams.

Show them something they didn't see in any of the other houses. Show them clean, organized, freshly painted. Show them light and spacious.

Here is a novel idea:

Clean under the sink, organize all the cabinets, drawers, and closets. Clean inside the oven and refrigerator. Clean all the windows.

It's really not that hard to impress buyers when your competition is so bad!

More information on preparing your house for sale:

The Secret To A Fast Home Sale

Are You Preparing Your House To Sell Or Sit?

NH Home Stager Reveals Secrets To Selling

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE FUTURE POSTS AUTOMATICALLY VIA YOUR EMAIL

Professional Home Staging services for the New Hampshire Seacoast

Portsmouth Rye Hampton North Hampton Exeter Dover

603.661.8524

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

A Safe Water Supply

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:13:11 -0600

Via Dale Baker,The #1 Home and Commercial Properties Inspector-in NH&VT-on AR (Baker Home,Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting ):

A Safe Water Supply, a safe water supply sure is critical to protecting publie health, is the first obligation of all water suppliers. Without the modern water systems, diseases such as cholera and dysentery would be part of our everyday life.

In the United States, water utilities are monitored for more than 100 contaminanta and must meet close to 90 regulations for water safety and quality. Those water standards are among the world's most stringent.

A Safe Water Supply, States usual also require utilities to meet additional standards. Community water supplies are tested evey day. Tap water undergoes far more frequent testing than bottled water. Many North American water systems add small amounts of fluoride to their water supplies to help prevent tooth decay. Kid's cavity rates have been reduced b6y 20 to 40 % where fluoridation has been implemented.

Did you know? That water utilities provide customers with a detailed report on the quality of their drinking water every year. If you would like your utility's report, you just need to contact your local utility company. Or you can visit http://www.drinktap.org

Post 610 - 28 Oct. 2009

By the time we complete the Inspection, you will know the Home or Commercial Property better than the owner does!

God Bless America, The Land We Love

A home inspection from Baker Home Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting, will give you peace of mind, so you and your family can enjoy the things you like to do!

Knowledge is Your Power For The Freedom of a Worry- Free Home!

When buying, renting a Home or Commercial Properties when Relocating in or to Sullivan County, New Hampshire, Windsor County, Vermont, or nearby Counties. When "Good Enough" Isn't, call Baker Home Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting to schedule, Your New Hampshire and Vermont Home or Commercial Property Inspections!

Phone: 603-826-4207

Mobile: 603-477-8072

Posted at: Localism.com/neighbor/bakerhome all links open in a new window!

Links Home Buyers, Home Owners, and Real Esate Agents will want to visit:

Life Expectancy of Home Componts New Hampshire and Vermont

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 1

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 2

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 3

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Post 1

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Post 2

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Post 3

The following blog post link, is a four part series - there are links to each part on the posts:

Coal Firing Furnaces-New Hampshire and Vermont Series Part one

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Home Owners Do you Prevent Fats and Greases from Damaging your Septic

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:11:04 -0600

Listen to what DALE is telling us!

Via Dale Baker,The #1 Home and Commercial Properties Inspector-in NH&VT-on AR (Baker Home,Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting ):

Home Owners Do you Prevent Fats and Greases from Damaging your Septic, Fats, Oils, and Greases are not just bad for your arteries and waistline, these things are also very bad for your private Septic System or public Sewer System. A Septic or Sewer System a overflow or backup can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and can very will threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes being blocked by grease. Grease gets into the sewer from household drains as will as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses.

Just where dose grease come from?

Most of us know grease as the byproduct of cooking. But grease is also found in such things as: Meat fats, lard, cooking oil, shortening, butter and margarine, food scraps, baking goods, sauces, and dairy products. Too often, folks wash grease into the home's plumbing system, usually through the kitchen sink. Grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes, both on your property and in the streets. Over time, the grease can very will build up and block the entire pipe.

Home Owners Do you Prevent Fats and Greases from Damaging your Septic, your home garbage disposals dose not keep grease out of your plumbing system. These units only shred solid material into smaller pieces and do not prevent grease from going down the drain. Commercial additives, including detergents, that claim to dissolve grease may very will just pass the grease down the line and end up causing problems in other areas.

The results could very will be:

Raw sewage overflowing in your home or your neighbor's home.

An expensive and unpleasant cleanup that often must be paid for out of your home budget.

Raw sewage overflowing into parks, yards, and streets.

Potential contact with disease-causing organisms.

An increase in operation and maintenance costs for your local sewer department, which ends up causing higher sewer bills for customers.

Home Owners Do you Prevent Fats and Greases from Damaging your Septic,You see its really best to keep, these kinds of materials out of the sewer system in the very first place.

Post 612 - 1 Nov. 2009

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By the time we complete the Inspection, you will know the Home or Commercial Property better than the owner does!

God Bless America, The Land We Love

A home inspection from Baker Home Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting, will give you peace of mind, so you and your family can enjoy the things you like to do!

Knowledge is Your Power For The Freedom of a Worry- Free Home!

When buying, renting a Home or Commercial Properties when Relocating in or to Sullivan County, New Hampshire, Windsor County, Vermont, or nearby Counties. When "Good Enough" Isn't, call Baker Home Commercial Properties Inspections and Consulting to schedule, Your New Hampshire and Vermont Home or Commercial Property Inspections!

Phone: 603-826-4207

Mobile: 603-477-8072

Posted at: Localism.com/neighbor/bakerhome all links open in a new window!

Links Home Buyers, Home Owners, and Real Esate Agents will want to visit:

Life Expectancy of Home Componts New Hampshire and Vermont

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 1

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 2

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Part 3

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Post 1

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Post 2

A Home's Oil Furnace The Series Windsor County Vermont Home Buyers Accompany Series Post 3

The following blog post link, is a four part series - there are links to each part on the posts:

Coal Firing Furnaces-New Hampshire and Vermont Series Part one

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

When Your Balusters Are Loose

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:07:04 -0600

Check those ballusters!

Via Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector (King of the House Home Inspection, Inc):

I seem to be having a spate of luck where, inspection after inspection, I a running into high decks. We are not talking three feet high. I mean decks that are 18 or 20 feet high and they are situated over valleys below. When such a deck is inspected it is very important that it be solid to the house. Another thing we inspectors want is proper spacing of the balusters. The standard safety guideline today is that balusters should be close enough together that a four inch sphere will not pass through. At many decks I find spacing much wider than that -- like a foot or more.

The other day I found a deck that had spacing just under four inches. I was very pleased, until I pressed on them. Oooops. Those balusters need to not only have the right spacing but they also have to stay in one place if a child, or the wind, is fiddling with them

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:47:13 -0600

I read this when Brad posted it. I really did!

Then I re-read it today as a re-blog... and I thought WOW!

Sometimes I think I take too much in and then forget where I read it or I would have been coming back to this..

So I'm reblogging it to make it easier for me to come back and re-read.

It is such a great article and great advice.

Brad, you're great! And so is Active Rain!

Via Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain):

How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines.

There are three important audiences to be writing for: 1. Other members and friends of your Social Networks. 2. Consumers, Subscribers, and a Target Audience of readers. 3. Search Engines. I'm sure this is preaching to the choir, but this is important information to be shared if you want to get maximum exposure and results from your Blog posts with consumers, visitors, and with Google. Google Juice? I'll drink to that! :-)

Blogging for Customers and Search Engines correctly is a key component to a successful Blog.

Using these effective strategies and time tested methods when creating your post can make a huge difference. The first thing when writing a post is to determine the audience you are writing for, the product or concept you're promoting, and the geographic market you are targeting. In this scenario, we are creating a Blog post to drive readers, consumers, and search engines to your Blog which is All About Your Area. Things like "Vacant Land", "Open Houses", "Loan Modifications", "Tax Credit", "Pest Control", "Relocation", "Market Statistics", "Short Sales", "Condos" etc.

1. How to title a blog post: Use a title that a customer would type into Google. example: "Open Houses in Mesquite Nevada" Targeting Neighborhoods and focusing on Communities are best, but you can also use City/State. Most searches by consumers always include a geographic area. example: "Vacant Land For Sale in Bend, Oregon" Don't just title your post "Vacant Land For Sale" as it probably won't get indexed to a specific location and will likely get lost in the Search Engine Abyss. (SEO abyss = page 24 of Google)

2. Repeat the title in BOLD in the first sentence of your blog post. example: "Vacant Land For Sale in Bend, Oregon" and now priced better than ever! Build your dream home in Bend, Oregon!" By creating the first sentence of your post to include the title and BOLD key search words, terms, or phrases, you'll increase the potential of being found and then read. That first sentence is typically the first sentence that shows up under your TITLE within the Google search results. It's an important part of getting the search engines to recognize your topic and see it's relative content. It's also what will help a consumer decide if they want to click on your link or NOT!

3. Write your blog posts to the title...then add in good content that a customer would want to know about. It takes a bit more time to think this strategy through, but the results and rewards will be tremendous. This in NOT the only way to gain SEO and more exposure, but it's a great place to start if you're new to Blogging and are wanting quicker results from your time and efforts here.

Creating posts and Understanding Long tail and Short tail search terms: Short tail searches are just that, very short keyword searches. example: "Homes for sale" or "Homes For Sale Austin, Texas". This is where most searches begin during the early stages of research by consumers. The Long tail search comes into play the closer consumers get to making a final purchase decision. example: "Gated Community Homes For Sale With a Pool in Austin Texas" Justin Smith explains more about Long tail/ Short tail searches in his post. You can also find more details by searching Google for "Long tail and Short tail searches." Here's a video that might help make heads or "tails" about this.

4. Go through your blog post and make sure that the words of your title are repeated a minimum of at least three or four times. At least one time every other paragraph or so. You should also bold those keywords so they stand out to the reader and to the search engines. You need to be somewhat creative in doing this and remember, don't over do it.

5. Tag your blog posts with other keywords and phrases the customer may type into Google. These should be topic related and relevant to your post. Do not try to game the search engines by packing in keywords that have nothing to do with the post, this will do more harm than good in most if not all cases. Also make sure to include images and links to relative sites, this will create more stickiness and add value to your posts.

Creating a Blog Post for Customers and Search engines is not that difficult once you understand some of these basic concepts and then practice and apply them on a regular basis. This is not to say you shouldn't write about other topics both personal and business, even those can be tailored to get you better results with customers and search engines. We tested this theory on the Fourth of July Weekend and you should see some of the results ActiveRain members experienced. It really does work.

I hope you can use these tips on "How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines."
VERY IMPORTANT: If your post on ActiveRain is (MEMBERS ONLY) then none of the above applies.

"RainMaker" Special - Signup Here and Get New Member Discount

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Your Asking Price might be Selling the House Down the Street in Idabel, Oklahoma!

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:37:05 -0600

Oh yes, you'll get a lot of showings because buyers trying to make a decision between the two will want to look at both so they can compare them and then, given everything else being about the same, they are going to march right down the street and buy the other house.

If you have an overpriced home, you are hurting yourself and helping other homes sell!

To get your home on the market in it's correct price range, list it with us!

For real estate sales and purchases in Choctaw County Oklahoma and McCurtain County Oklahoma, including Idabel, Hugo, Valliant, Swink, Sawyer, Millerton, Garvin, Fort Towson, Lake Raymond Gary area, Pine Creek Lake area...
Call me, Judi Barrett, 580-212-5946

Jody made some excellent points here and graciously has allowed her post to be reblogged. Thanks, Jody!

Via Jody Deeds (Solutions for Real Estate):

Preparing to sell your home takes some planning and expert advice, especially when it comes to setting the price.

You'll find everyone becomes an expert and wants to offer their opinion on the price...neighbors, family, co-workers, etc. And...while all of these individuals have good intentions and only want to help, it is crucial that you take into account all factors involved: market conditions, similar style homes that have sold in your area, your homes currently on the market, is it a buyer's market or seller's market, condition of your home, how fast homes are selling, terms and incentives, etc.

Avoid testing the market! Set a realistic price based on the facts involved. Pricing too high will only help sell competing homes in the area and you'll lose your initial rush of good qualified potential buyers. The longer a home stays on the market, the lower the offers and less negotiating power there will be for you.

How much you paid for the home and how much you want to profit, are important to you, these factors do not affect the market value of your home and what Buyer's are willing to pay.

For a personal pricing consultation, give us a call at 614-755-9566. You can also visit us on-line at www.sellyourhomecolumbus.com for helpful information.
******************************************************************************

If you're considering buying or selling a home in the Columbus, Ohio or surrounding areas, call me at 614-755-9566. You can also visit me on-line at www.buyahomecolumbus.com

The Paragon Realty Team of Solutions for Real Estate
614-755-9566
www.jodydeeds.com

Click here to request FREE MLS Home Listings

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

How to Deal With Multiple Offers When You Are A Buyer

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:38:49 -0600

Clayton has written a short simple post here with lots of good advice for anyone making offers, regardless of where you are!

For real estate sales and purchases in Choctaw County Oklahoma and McCurtain County Oklahoma, including Idabel, Hugo, Valliant, Swink, Sawyer, Millerton, Garvin, Fort Towson, Lake Raymond Gary area, Pine Creek Lake area...
Call me, Judi Barrett, 580-212-5946

Via Clayton Bonjean, Mainsail Realty Company:

To Search Destin and Santa Rosa Beach Short Sales and Foreclosures, Click the Link Below.

DESTIN, FL AND SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL FORECLOSURE SEARCH

Help for the Buyer - Multiple Offers Without The Stomach Ache

I stay very busy working with buyers writing offers on short sales and bank owned properties in Destin, FL. I like to seek out the best deals for my clients and this often leads to multiple offer situations. This can be a very uncomfortable and stressfull situation for all agents and buyers involved. The tips below will help any buyer in this situation.

1. Do not make your offer based on the other offer. For all you know the other offer could be ridiculously low and have contingencies all over it. You will have no way of knowing the other offer unless the seller advises the listing agent to tell you. Speculation will get you nowhere.

2. Look at the comps and have your realtor provide you with a CMA "comparative market analysis". Make your decision based on the comps and base your offer on this analysis.

3. When you are told to submit your "Highest and Best Offer", submit your highest and best offer but understand that the bank or seller may ask for "Highest and Best" again. I have had this happen a few times.

4. Make your offer as clean as possible. Do not include too many contingencies because you may lose out to a lower offer.

5. I have seen foreclosures and short sales sell for over the asking price. This happens all of the time. Sometimes banks and agents price homes under market to create a bidding war.

6. The other agent is not lying about the other offer. This would be a major violation and we cannot assume this.

Keep a cool head and make a good offer when there are multiple offers on the table. Do not offer way too much and be careful with the low ball offers.

Clayton Bonjean, Broker, MBA, CDPE

www.mainsailrealtycompany.com

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

To Stage or Not to Stage?

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:01:02 -0600

Pat has posted the numbers here... If you've wondered if staging works, look at these numbers. It's important to get homes presented well that are for sale, regardless of where you are!

For real estate sales and purchases in Choctaw County Oklahoma and McCurtain County Oklahoma, including Idabel, Hugo, Valliant, Swink, Sawyer, Millerton, Garvin, Fort Towson, Lake Raymond Gary area, Pine Creek Lake area...
Call me, Judi Barrett, Integrity Real Estate Services and let's talk about how to get your home sold!

580-212-5946

Via Pat Eardley (PureStyle Home Staging):

Well, there are plenty of homes on the market today. More inventory than buyers. So, if you're one of those homeowners that's selling you are probably asking yourself....how can I make my home stand out? You've done things that you've seen on tv like decluttering and cleaning but is it enough? Statistics show that staging your property, sells your property. Staging does cost, the rates vary, I've heard some use the rule of thumb of 1% of the sale price. However, I've always come in lower. That said, 1% is a lot CHEAPER than paying the mortgage for a few extra months.

Real Estate Staging Association - Staging Statistics

Vacant Homes       Unstaged and Not Sold           Staged,Listed, & Sold

1/08-12/08                  190 Days on Market                       28 Days on Market

Occupied Homes    Unstaged and Not Sold         Staged,Listed, & Sold

1/08-12/08                     57 Days on Market                        6 Days on Market

Professional Stagers do more than declutter and tidy up. We make your property inviting. Looking at it with buyer's eyes to see what may not be obvious to you. That may entail re-working your floor plan or painting to make the space flow better and create a more cohesive look. Also, accessorizing the space to make it warm and inviting.

Staging works, call PureStyle to accentuate the positive features of your home!

PureStyle - www.purestyledesign.com

843-609-8280

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Vacant Home Staging Basics

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:57:01 -0600

A home properly staged does so much better in marketing.

McCurtain County and Choctaw County Oklahom, take a look and see if you don't agree. Call me about selling your property in these two counties.

Judi Barrett 580-212-5946

Via Heather Cook (Rooms in Bloom Staging & Design ~ www.homestagingdesign.ca):

This is an article I wrote which is being featured not only in Rooms in Bloom's newsletter, but several other Realtor newsletters in our area. I just thought I would share. Also - if anyone else has any input on how they handle inquiries about the feasibility of staging vacant homes, I would love to hear what you say. For us, we get inquiries daily which is why I thought I would write this short article.

Vacant Home Staging Basics

        Yesterday, my partner Alana and I received our third inquiry from a Realtor about what was involved in staging an empty house they had listed. This particular house had gone on the market at the beginning of December and had received very little interest. The family had already moved out and left nothing behind. We were asked by the realtor, did we think it was worth it to stage the house to garner fresh leads and interest from buyers? Well, you tell us what you think. Of the two photos below, which one would you rather market or buy? Which one do you think would give buyers the best sense of room proportions and house potential?

            Yes, maybe after viewing the pictures it seems fairly common sense to invest the money in staging as the results are spectacular. However, the cost of vacant home staging can be quite prohibitive for realtors and sellers alike. We strive to point out however; we live in an age where buyers are incredibly discriminating. People expect the home they will be will buy to mirror something they have seen on HGTV so the staging cost needs to be factored into the basic house selling budget. It's important to realize that only 10% of buyers have the ability to realize a home's potential - regardless of whether it is staged or not. That means if a house isn't showing well, then the sellers are missing out on connecting with 90% of the people walking through the home. With those kinds of statistics, sellers can't afford not to stage their homes.

            Vacant home staging is an essential way of getting buyers to connect emotionally to a house. Stark, empty rooms only tell potential buyers that this house is unloved and fails to project the image of a lifestyle which someone will want to buy into. This is why model homes are always furnished. Empty models are just empty rooms. When someone buys a home, they are buying into a lifestyle, envisioning their new lives within the walls of that house. Furniture gives buyers an excellent sense of a room's proportions in addition to defining the spaces so that there is never any guesswork as to what a room's purpose is. In addition, if that house also has any design flaws, required repair work or obvious faults, there is nothing to distract a buyer from focusing on that particular element. For example, we staged a huge home recently which was beautiful but had acres of white carpets which desperately needed to be cleaned and stretched. Without furniture, there was nothing to distract buyers from thinking of how much money it would take to make the carpets livable - or to replace them altogether. This home had sat on the market for six months before we staged it, and then within two weeks of staging it received multiple offers.

            So what exactly is involved in staging a vacant home? First, there is the initial consultation where professional home stagers will come out and view the home, take measurements and create a room by room design. Yes, there is usually a cost associated with this service however it is an essential part to the process. The second step is to decide how much of the house you want to furnish. Depending on the house and the layout, you may or may not have to furnish every room. We stress main living areas, master bedrooms and bathrooms as those areas garner the most interest from buyers. Some homes, due to their open concept design would look awkward unless all connected rooms are staged. Your home staging professional will be able to advise you on exactly what should be done to create the overall effect you need to lock in people's interest and emotions.

This means that once furnished, the seller will be paying a monthly cost to continue to rent the furnishings. This cost is a percentage of the overall cost of the items being rented and can range from $36 for a set of lamps to $250 for a complete bedroom set. This cost should go down for subsequent months as long as the home staging company has negotiated those terms with their furniture rental company. Rooms in Bloom always tells their clients that after the first month's rental, the furnishings cost goes down 10% for each subsequent month.

             When we talk to our clients about staging their vacant homes and they balk at the cost, we caution them to view the big picture. If their house sits on the market for 120+ days (national average according to the statistics from the Real Estate Staging Association), can they afford the carrying costs for two homes? Of course there is never a guarantee that staging will ensure the house sells, however staging has been proven to help sell a home in a third of the time than an un-staged home. Selling a house is stressful at the best of times, but using the tools at your disposal to give your property the best possible chance at selling fast and for top dollar can't be discounted.

            So, you decide - which house would you be drawn to from the pictures below? This is the tangible effect staging has on potential buyers. In an age where people want the house of their dreams but are less willing to put in the work to achieve it, staging fills the gap and gives buyers what they are searching for.

Heather Cook, Rooms in Bloom Stylist, January 2009.
Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Home Staging Before & After Pictures

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:51:06 -0600

It is so important to have that inviting visual appeal to help get your home sold.

McCurtain County and Choctaw County Oklahoma,

Call me and let's get your real estate sold.

Via Kathy Nielsen Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC):

Atlanta Home Staging Before & After Pictures

It feels so good to help a seller sell their home more quickly. Our Atlanta Home Staging services are truly making an impact on how quickly a home sells. Case in point, this home featured in the post How this Atlanta Investor Sold His Home in 24 Hours is just one example. Another Atlanta investor we've been working with for the past few months is now on home number 5. Each of those homes have gone under contract in less than 2 weeks. We're now scheduled to do upwards of 10 homes per month beginning in January.

There's a formula for this success and it boils down to three main things:

Price

Marketing

Visual Appeal

The visual appeal is where home staging can help tremendously. Here's a before and after picture of the home we staged just yesterday in Atlanta:

Vacant Home Staging in Atlanta

Whether you're an investor, real estate agent, homeowner or investor, we have the perfect solutions available to help sell your home more quickly.

******************************************************************************************

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly. Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392. Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. For more tips on how to showcase your home, visit our AtlantaHomeStagerInfo blog.

********************************************************************************************

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... Rank: wait... Traffic: wait... Price: wait... C: wait...

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

How To Modify A Home Picture To Improve "Curb Appeal"

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:25:07 -0600

Via Karen Kruschka - Fairfax Prince William Stafford County VA Real Estate Service (Long & Foster America's #1 Privately Owned Real Estate Co.):

When I say improve curb appeal I do not mean

Altering featutres of the home or

Adding and deleting plants, trees, high tension lines or anything else that would be deceptive.

However, I take photos on cloudy or rainy days - my schedule does not give me the luxury to only take photos of homes on sunny days with a beautiful blue sky filled with clouds. The photo below is a prime example - the row of town homes appears as bleak as the day the photo was taken. They certainly will not enhance the appearance of an MLS entry or a blog about the subdivision

Take a look at the photo below. I did not make any enhancements to the photo above except to add blue sky and clouds that we have on file Everything other than the sky is exactly the same as it was in the photo above. I didn't even edit out the newspaper on the right hand side of the photo

Is it unethical? Absolutely not

Mother Nature would have come by in a day or two to add the blue sky and clouds.

I just made it look as though she had already been there before I took the photo.

There is no place in the US that only has gray skies

I believe more people would be attracted to the lower photo as opposed to the original photo above. The simple addition of blue sky even had a positive effect on the other colors in the photo.

We have the option to submit our own photos to our MLS. Some of them look like the one above. I prefer to take my own photos and have "blue skies smiling at me".

The good news is that it took less than 10 minutes with four simple steps to make the change.

Although there any number of photo editing software programs available we find Adobe Photoshop Ekemernts 7 the most user friendly for us. The four steps we use can be found in "The Photoshop Elements 7 Book" by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski. All of the photo editing ideas in the book are far simpler than the instructions that accompany the sotware.

Step One:

Open a photo that needs the addition of a blue sky.

Step Two:

Type W to

select the Magic Wand Tool

Click in the area that needs blue sky and release - the tool will do the rest selecting the entire gray area.

Do nothing further with the photo

Step Three:

Open a stored blue sky photo

Under Select choose All

Under Edit choose Copy

Close out of the blue sky photo

Step4:

Since you closed out the blue sky photo the original photo will reappear

On the Layer palette choose New

Go to Edit and choose Paste into Selection

Press Ctrl-D to Deselect

Voila!!!! Just go to File and Save As

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Summary of the new Truth In Lending Act and Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:26:46 -0500

Via Dan Quinn, Realtor, DanQuinnHomes.com (Prudential Advantage Realty):

Many thanks to Richard Miller of Nationwide Home mortgage for summing up the new changes in the law in respect to residential mortgage transactions. These changes could dramatically increase the time required to close a mortgage so read on. Thanks Richard!

A summary of the new laws:

Time of Disclosures

The Truth-In-Lending Disclosure Act (TIL) along with the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (MDIA) require that for residential mortgage transactions, the Initial TIL disclosure be delivered or placed in the mail not later than three business days after the creditor (Lender) receives the consumer's written application, and at least seven business days before consummation (Closing) of the transaction. The seven business day waiting period begins when the lender delivers or places the TIL in the mail, not when the consumer receives or is deemed to receive it. For example, if written application is received on Monday, the TIL mailed on Tuesday, the borrower could not close on their transaction prior to the following Wednesday (assuming there was no federal holiday). This is required for all closed-end loans (including seconds) secured by a consumer's dwelling including their principle dwelling, vacation home, and 2^ndhome. Exemptions to this are in case of HELOC's or applications that are denied by the lender or withdrawn by the consumer within the first three days. Depending on the lender, this can add 4 - 6 days to any transaction and specifically limits when you may schedule and collect fees for an appraisal (see Fee Restriction below).

Re-disclosure Requirement

Re-disclosure is required at or before loan consummation if the disclosed APR is not within an acceptable tolerance (see below) as defined in Reg Z. Re-disclosure is also required if a variable rate feature is added. A borrower must receive the corrected TIL no later than three business days before closing. If the re-disclosed TIL was sent by mail, it is not considered "received" by the consumer until three business days after they've been mailed. For example, if the new TIL is mailed on Monday, the borrower could not close on their transaction prior to the following Monday (assuming there was no federal holiday). Adds at a minimum, 7 days to any transaction.

Tolerances

The Annual Percentage Rate on the TIL shall be considered accurate if it is not more than 1/8 of 1 percentage point above or below the actual Annual Percentage Rate. If the loan is an irregular transaction (a loan with one or more of the following features: multiple advances, irregular payment periods or irregular payment amounts other than an irregular first payment or and irregular first or final payment) with advances or irregular payment periods or amounts, the Annual Percentage Rate shall be considered accurate if it is not more than ¼ of 1 percent point above or below the Annual Percentage Rate. A change in loan amount, lock period, interest rate, days of interest required and similar commonly changed items can increase or decrease the APR by more than .125 very quickly. 1/8th of 1% of a $400,000 loan is only $500

Fee Restriction

A creditor may not charge a fee in connection with the application (other than a reasonable credit report fee) until the consumer has received the TIL. This includes fees charged for appraisals. If the TIL was sent by mail, it is not considered "received" by the consumer until three business days after they've been mailed. For example, if the application is hand delivered on Monday and the TIL is mailed on Tuesday, the borrower is not deemed to have received the TIL until Friday. No fees may be imposed (for an appraisal or otherwise) until after this deemed received time period. Business Days, under the new law, are defined as all days except Sundays and Specified Legal Public Holidays.

If you would like to read more, please use this link http://www.federalreserve.gov/reportforms/formsreview/RegZ_20090519_ffr.pdf

Realtor® CRS, GRI

Serving MD and DC

www.DanQuinnHomes.com

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

November is National Literacy Month - $7,321,457.44 raised for Global Literacy - You Can Help By Buying Used Books

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:40:25 -0500

Better World is an online bookstore that has raised millions for global literacy. They sell a ton of used books on a daily basis.

A portion of the sales goes to support global literacy.

Betterworld.com is where I buy just about all of my books.

They have used books. They buy used books. I have saved a lot of money by buyig my books from them, and they are always at a good price!

Check them out:

Better World Books

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Halloween Haunts for Southeast Oklahoma

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:46:02 -0500

Halloween events in Southeast Oklahoma:

Ride the Train of Terror at Beavers Bend State Park. Departs every 30 minutes 7 pm – 10 pm. 580-494-6613

Take the kids trick or treating in a safe environment. Every Halloween the businesses in Broken Bow host the Broken Bow Safe-N-Sane Halloween. Halloween evening. 580-584-2440

If you're staying in this Halloween and want to read of haunted places in Oklahoma -- to go along with the telling of ghost stories, the multitude of Halloween shows and movies, you might check the following two sites online:

Haunted Places is a state by state, country by country listing of haunted places. They encourage readers to submit their sightings:

"Broken Bow Library which is the old High School that was renovated – “On numerous occasions while closing the library in the evening several voices have been heard in the” …read more

This same site has three different haunted locations listed for Idabel.

Prairie Ghosts is another site that has a collection of Oklahoma Ghost Stories.

Whatever you do this Halloween - Be Safe!

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Live like you are dying and list like you're bank owned.

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:30:39 -0500

Steve makes some good points here that

all of us should think about when its time

to sell our homes.

If you want to sell and you are in either McCurtain County

or Choctaw County in Southeast Oklahoma,

Call me, Judi Barrett at Integrity Real Estate Services

and let's talk about getting your home and/or land on the

market and finding you a buyer so that you can move on with your life.

Selling a home that no longer fits your needs allows you to buy the home that

does work for you and this time in your life.

Judi Barrett 580-212-5946

Idabel, Hugo, Valliant, Swink, Millerton, Garvin, Sawyer, Fort Towson,

specializing in acreages and waterfront Lake Raymond Gary.

Via Steve Loynd, Alpine Lakes Real Estate Inc., Loon Mt, NH.:

Live like you are dying, the lyrics of this Tim McGraw song speaks volumes to many different people.

As I listened to what this song is advocating, It occurred to me many sellers should heed this lesson. They put a price on a property that they think "someday" it may sell for. If moving on with your life requires the sale of a property you own...there is not an infinite amount of time to accomplish this sale. Life is Short.

What got me thinking about this, is I have several short sales a bank owned sale and a probate property that are pending. With these sales the process to close will be longer (in some cases much longer) than the time it took to find a buyer. The price was right, the buyers where motivated and the sellers showed their willingness to sell, by pricing the property to sell.

List like the market is dying. Life is Short.

#1 If you are going to buy after this sale...the sooner you sell the sooner you are in the buyers shoes (you are merely trading equity...if you buy a replacement property).

#2 Moving on is far less painful than hanging on (how many months of mortgages, taxes, insurance utilities will be spend holding...after you admit you want to sell).

#3 You may be better off renting for a time (dropping the major maintenance costs and healing your credit may put you in a better place in the long run than draining your savings, while waiting to score on unrealistic re-sales).

My Bucket list doesn't include living in a home I can't afford...and waiting for someone to over pay me for the same privileges. Life is Short.

                                                                                                                      Steve Loynd, White Mountain New Hampshire real Estate Expert

   steve@alpinelakes.com toll free 800-926-5653 /cell 603-381-7898

    MLS search and Realtor web site: www.alpinelakes.com

    My outside Blog: www.steveswhitemountainblog.com

   Lincoln NH & Local interest site: www.localism.com/nh/lincoln

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Education is the Only Sure Consumer Protection

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:25:05 -0500

Via Bill Ladewig Your FHA Guru - FHA and VA Loans Since 1970:

Education is the Only Sure Consumer Protection

Realtors, We Must Teach Your Clients to Properly Shop for Rates.
Life is better for all concerned when Your buyers know how to select competent lenders

FIRST, Two VERY IMPORTANT Rules:

Mortgage Rates, Points and Lender Fees are interdependent parts of every rate quote.  If any part is missing the Quote is worthless.

Do not fall for "I must have your credit report and financial information before I can quote you a my rate" because this an absolutely outrageous lie. Move to the next lender no matter whojust lied to you. In my opinion this is predatory lending.

Important Mortgage Rate Shopping Tips.

Know your credit score before you begin shopping.  Loan availability and the cost of your loan depend on your credit score. Most conventional lenders require a 720, or better, mid score, above 80% loan to value, and most FHA and VA lenders require a minimum 620 to 640 mid credit score. Do not allow any lender to run your credit until You select them as your lender. Credit reports run by several lenders will lower you credit score. If you do not already know your credit score, there are several Internet companies that will provide a free credit report and FICO scores for an additional Fee.

VERY IMPORTANT, Shop all lenders on the same day and time period.  Mortgage Rates change every day, sometimes several times a day.

Insist that each lender price the exact same Rate. You pick a rate to shop. The rate does not really matter as long as it is currently available because you are looking for lender for the lowest total cost for the rate you are shopping.   Once you establish the lowest cost lender you can zero in on a rate-point-fee combination that works best for your situation.

All lenders offer a range of rates and points for each of their loan types. Rate and points are interrelated, lower mortgage rates cost more points... higher rates cost less points. Create a "Rate Baseline" by asking each lender for the same mortgage rate and then compare their points and fees for that rate.

Shop for a specific loan type, because each type is priced differently. i.e: FHA, VA and Conventional loans, conforming and jumbo have different mortgage rates. Insist that each lender quote rates for the same loan type. Some lenders may present you with other options but insist they also provide a quote for the loan you are shopping for to establish a pricing base line.

Shop each lender for the same mortgage rate lock time period. You must ask every lender to tell you the lock period for the rate they are quoting. Mortgage Rates increase incrementally for each longer lock periods. I suggest shopping rates for a 30-day lock period. Lock periods can vary but most lenders provide locks for 15, 30 and 45 days.   Some lenders quote their 15 day, least expensive price, which is not available until after the loan is approved.   If you find a lender initially quoting a 15-day rate, it would prudent to eliminate that lender from your short list.

If the Loan to Value is greater than 90% and the spread between the interest rate and APR are less than 0.75% the APR has been misstated.

Insist the lender provide a detailed Good Faith Estimate before you complete an application. You have a right to know to know the price of the loan before you apply. A few lenders, even some large well-known lenders, falsely claim rates cannot be quoted until they have all your personal information. This is an absolutely bogus sales technique, these lenders know that borrowers do not want their personal information spread all over town and their credit score lowered by several credit reports AND they know once a borrower provides their personal information they are likely to stop shopping. Do not apply to any lender before you receive a Good Faith Estimate.

Will the lender allow you to lock your mortgage rate today? You should be able to lock your rate on the day you submit your signed application as long as the signed application is received by the lender prior to 3:00 PM PT. Most lenders stop locking loans at 4:00 PM PT this time is not universal so check with each lender for their lock cutoff. I am not necessarily advocating an immediate lock unless market conditions indicate it is needed. By allowing the lender think the borrower may immeditally lock the lender may provide a more accurate quote.

Bill Ladewig, Your FHA Guru

800.664.SAVE (7283)

Bill@YourFhaGuru.com

Current Rates: Rates



October, 2009 San Diego Mortgage Rate Shopping tips

San Diego FHA and VA Home Loans Escondido Mortgages Escondido Localism San Diego FHA and VA Home Loans San Diego Localism San Diego UFMIP Escondido Mortgages Escondido Localism San Diego Mortgage What is APR

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

ActiveRain Community Guidelines

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:01:16 -0500

I just read through the Active Rain Community Guildelines one more time.

They are a good read and bear re-reading or re-blogging.

Via ActiveRain Corp.:

The following are the ActiveRain Community Guidelines. For an expanded explanation/definition of each point, simply click on the highlighted links.

Respect the Real Estate Industry

ActiveRain is a place where real estate professionals can network with their peers and discuss industry insider topics. It is also a public forum where consumers can pull back the curtain and see what the real estate industry is really about.

Because of this level of transparency and openness, ActiveRain members must remain zealous in their quest to represent our industry in as true and professional of a light as possible, for both their fellow professionals, and the consumers who access this platform.

Respect the ActiveRain Community

Being a part of any community requires a certain level of trust. Don't abuse the site or your fellow members. By joining the ActiveRain community you are given a platform to present your ideas and opinions to a large number of people. We trust you to be responsible with that platform; thousands of other ActiveRain members are also counting on your trustworthiness.

The ActiveRain community and real estate industry as a whole will only be respected to the degree of character represented by the actions of it's professionals. Do not conduct yourself in a way that disgraces your fellow member's on this network.

Do not take malicious action against the network.

Do not advertise yourself or your services in the comment section of another members blog post.

Do not personally attack another person.

Do not slander another person.

Do not send unsolicited emails, or faxes, or make unsolicited phone calls to another member.

Respect the public that this community serves and derives its living from.

Do not violate any laws of your local jurisdiction. This includes all Fair Housing related laws.

Do not republish any content initially revealed in a Member's Only post.

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Title Insurance - On a Cash Purchase in Oklahoma

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:55:21 -0500

Often a buyer that is purchasing with cash, in Oklahoma, does not purchase Title Insurance. This sometimes comes as a surprise to our out- of-the-area buyers.

Oklahoma is an abstracting state. Most of the time the seller in the transaction is paying to have the abstract brought up to date subsequent to the date on the purchase contract. Then the abstract goes to the attorney of choice for the buyer.

In Oklahoma the Title Insurance Policy is written based upon the Attorney's Opinion. Just about everyone gets an attorney's opinion on the abstract which gives his/her opinion as to whether there is good and marketable title. Title issues should come become evident to the buyer by his attorney's opinion. Title flaws are normally the responsibility of the seller to correct unless the buyer accepts the property with the title problems.

So many cash buyers do not purchase title insurance and many that borrow through local banks do not purchase title insurance.

Title insurance can supply you with some peace of mind in your purchase but it's a new idea to many Oklahomans that have always done their financing through local banks which normally do not require title insurance.

I'm not advising one way or the other, simply stating what often is the choice of cash buyers and why it's often their choice.

It's always a good idea to ask about the total cost of certain decisions in any transaction. Title insurance cost estimates can be supplied to you by your title insurance agent. Those cost estimates should include any additional final abstracting, etc that must be done.

I have been told that some closing agents will not close a transaction unless the purchaser does buy title insurance, so that must be weighed into your decicision also.

One of the recent changes in Oklahoma came in 2007 which allows a title insurance policy to be based upon a supplemental abstract if that supplemental abstract goes back to the prior owner's issuance of title insurance. Prior to this time the complete base abstract had to be read each time that a title policy was issued.

It's always a good idea to ask questions. Ask your real estate agent... ask your lender... ask your closer... ask, ask, ask. About all aspects of your purchase. Then you can make informed decisions and hopefully the right decision for you.

I always like to see my clients take steps to help protect themselves whether it's title insurance or a home inspection, using a licensed real estate professional, or a reputable lender. A home purchase is usually a large monetary transaction, so be careful and weigh your decisions carefully.

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Cause and Effect -- Duct Tape Is Not For Fastening Ducts

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:22:33 -0500

Via Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector (King of the House Home Inspection, Inc):

Duct tape must be one of the most misnamed products that there is anywhere. Fact is, one of the worst things you can do with it is to tape ducts of any type, from furnace ducts to exhaust ducts on the bath fan. Heck, you are better off repairing your shoes with it, the old camping water bottle or maybe using it to repair the trailer hitch -- just kidding there.

As an inspector, we see lots of ducts that are held together with duct tape.

That is one side of the coin, the other side is the duct taped ducts that we see that did not stand the test of time.

The photo above, which is very common when duct tape is used, gives a great example of why using duct tape to secure ducts is a no no. Various connectors for securing the different types of ducts are available at hardware stores and going that route is certainly the better option.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Motivational Monday - Learning to Swim

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:00:33 -0500

“What do you first do when you learn to swim?

You make mistakes.

And what happens?

You make other mistakes,

and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning -

and some of them many times over -

What do you find?

That you can swim!

Well - life is just the same as learning to swim!

Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!”

Quote from Alfred Adler, an Austrain psychiatrist whose work gave us the term "inferiority complex.

I do believe though that we shouldn't swim with the sharks whether in the water, or in life. :)

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Speechless Sunday - It's All In How You Look At It!

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:27:29 -0500

Courtesy of Paul Schubert

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946

Costs involved in buying a home

Judi Barrett Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:55:45 -0500

Via Dr. Stacey-Ann Baugh (Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc):

I work with mostly first-time homebuyers who are not familiar with the process of buying a home and who may be confused about how much money they may need to be able to buy.

DOWN PAYMENT - The minimum down-payment is usually 3.5% of the purchase price. However, this can range from as little as 0% to as much as 20% of the price depending on the type of loan. There are some programs available that assist with down-payment. The Down Payment on your DREAM program in PG County is an example of a down-payment assistance program for first-time home buyers purchasing a vacant foreclosure in the County.

CLOSING COSTS - Closing costs are the costs associated with purchasing the home, acquiring the mortgage, purchasing title insurance, as well as any state or city taxes involved. These costs vary by location and depending on your mortgage arrangements but usually run between 3% and 6% of the purchase price. Sometimes arrangements can be made to have the seller assist the buyer with some or all of the closing costs.

EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT - This deposit is submitted with the offer. The deposit is held in escrow and credited towards the buyer's down payment and/or closing costs. However, this check is cashed following acceptance of the offer. The seller may be entitled to the deposit if the buyer defaults on the contract. This deposit is usually a minimum of 1% of the purchase price and the amount may need to be increased in competitive situations.

HOME INSPECTION - This is paid for by the buyer at the time of inspection. The costs involved vary depending on the size and purchase price of the home but cost approximately $250-$500.

TERMITE INSPECTION - Many mortgages require a termite inspection. This can either be billed to the closing company and paid at the settlement table or paid for up front. The costs range from $35-$55.

OTHER INSPECTIONS - Any additional inspections that the buyer is interested in having done are paid for by the buyer. These may include radon inspections which can cost between $125 and $200, mold inspections, well water tests, septic system evaluations, chimney inspections, and anything else the buyer is interested in investigating prior to committing to purchase the home.

APPRAISAL - A few lenders will have the appraisal paid for at closing. However, many lenders will have the buyers pay for this up-front. That way if something goes wrong with the contract the lender is not stuck with the cost of the appraisal. This can vary in cost from approximately $350-$550.

If you are interested in learning more about purchasing a home or for more information about the down-payment assistance programs available in Prince George's County, MD don't hesitate to contact me.
Dr. Stacey-Ann Baugh

Long & Foster Real Estate

www.staceybaugh.com

staceyannbaugh@gmail.com

240-481-3565 (C)

301-924-1100 (O)

I Make House-Calls!

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Life in Southeast Oklahoma is GREAT! If you're looking for a home or land in my part of the country, please give me a call, and give me a chance to earn your business!

Judi Barrett, broker, Integrity Real Estate Services, 580-212-5946

Judi Barrett
Broker - Integrity Real Estate Services
Our Name Says It All.
Real Estate Services You Can Trust.
580-212-5946