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closing: Get pre-approved, but know what that means - a look at the stages of a loan approval. - 10/25/09 08:07 AM
 
Ever wondered what "approval" means?
Mortgage guy Ken Cook breaks down the stages of approval for a mortgage and shows you life on his side of the fence.  Ken's no-nonsense look at the value of the various stages of the loan process is refreshing and straight on.  Then again, Ken's never been known to mince words either.
As I asked him in my comment on his post though, I don't want anyone to think "well since pre-approval is worthless, I don't need one."  The fact is they are still necessary, even though he's right - they guarantee nothing.
If you're … (5 comments)

closing: Can't we all just get along? Stagers vs. Realtors® vs. Sellers. - 08/25/09 04:16 PM

photo courtesy of REAL ESTAGING
A stager's blog starts the conversation.
In light of the recent post by Cathy Dick on her blog titled, "Remove my home staging signs from the home? Why?," I got to thinking about the relationships between sellers, stagers, and Realtors®.  So far, I've never seen a particularly warm-fuzzy friendship between the three.  That's not to say that it doesn't exist, but one scroll through the comments section of Cathy's post and you'll see what I mean.
Why do we seem to be at odds?  (Realtors® and stagers)
The first thing I notice about staging and … (139 comments)

closing: Realtor® Speak 102: What are all these charges on my HUD-1 Settlement Statement? - 08/22/09 12:37 PM

to view larger version, click the image above
First, a few notes.  You may notice that I've opted to black out many of the figures and company names in the above image.  In regards to confidentiality I felt it necessary to do so to protect the people involved.  Overall, the message stays the same without giving too much information and exposing my clients, the lender, or the other agent and their clients involved in the transaction.  I have also highlighted a few key things - Borrower's column, Seller's column, and the "Items Payable in Connection with Loan" section.  I will … (4 comments)

closing: Realtor® Speak 102: What do I need to bring to closing? - 08/20/09 11:23 PM

photo courtesy of Menage a Moi
I was preparing for a closing yesterday with a client...
My client is a First Time Home Buyer and we've had some interesting moments looking for homes.  We've seen good and we've seen bad.  As we went through the house on our final walk-through to prepare for the closing the next day, the client had quite a few questions.  This particular client really had a desire to understand what was going on as he was purchasing a home and I had a blast with him.  I like questions.  It gives me a chance to … (11 comments)

closing: Realtor® Speak 102: What if the house burns down? - 08/16/09 11:16 AM

photo courtest of dvs
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire. *
You and your agent have your offer accepted, you've done your inspections and the title company and lender are doing their work to get your home closed in a few short days.  You're about as excited as you can be and can't wait.  By this time next week you'll be putting the keys into the front door of your new home at 123 Fake Street.  Life is good.  In anticipation of your new address, you decide to swing by the house and take a look at … (14 comments)

closing: Open Letter to First Time Home Buyers - 08/05/09 10:49 PM
Spread the word.
I came across this re-blog on Kristin Moran's blog (I sit two doors down from her everyday, yet she always discovers great stuff I don't know about).  Reading through it I found myself nodding in agreement.  It's going to be a close call for many home buyers who sit and wait.  I fear for them.  Imagine trying to close just as doomsday approaches.  Imagine something goes wrong.  Imagine your closing is delayed by one day.  Imagine losing $8,000 because your loan didn't fund on the correct day.  Would you be angry?  Of course you would.  I would be … (4 comments)

closing: Nine articles you should read before you sell your home. - 04/12/09 02:11 PM

photo courtesy of stevoarnold
As a real estate blogger, I read a lot of other blogs.
Although all real estate is locally based and every market has its own trends and peculiarities, the fact remains that many great agents out there are giving solid advice that can be used in any market.  Although some of these posts specifically point out markets many miles away from us here in San Antonio, they are posts that you can glean information from when selling your home.  Of course, no list would be complete without something I wrote (since I'm here in San Antonio), … (12 comments)

 
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Matt Stigliano

San Antonio, TX

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Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME

Address: 21252 Gathering Oak, #100, San Antonio, TX, 78260

Office Phone: (210) 646-4663 x 210

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