If you have recently been involved in any type of remodeling project or even made a quick stop at your local Home Depot or Lowe's, then you should have heard the term "Low VOC Paint". What is Low VOC paint and why does it matter to me? Did you know that indoor air is actually 3 times for polluted than outdoor air. No wonder sitting in the house tends to make me crazy. Read the following article for some very interesting information.
The first annual Earth Day Chattanooga is finally here. There will be many activities and things to see along Main Street, so come on out and join us for this celebration. Interesting speakers that we all might could learn something from. Click on the link below for more detailed information.
You are constantly hearing about home equity loans or what are also referred to as H.E.L.O.C.'s (pronounced He-Locks). The bank advertises them to me every time I go through the teller and I am constantly receiving promotional materials in the mail about how I qualify for a H.E.L.O.C. I am very familiar with how they work and actually have a couple on properties that I own. To educate my readers and provide the simplest explanation of a H.E.L.O.C. please click on the link below. If you have any questions beyond this, you can call me. And as always, if I can't answer your questions then I can certainly steer you in the right direction.
I have decided to devote a little time to providing my readers with "Green" information and links that can make them live happier and healthier lifestyles. I will try to keep all information relative to real estate and definitely keep it helpful. The first link that I am posting is about Energy Efficient Appliances. If you are considering making an appliance purchase, please take a look here and see how to rate your appliances efficiency. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to blog.
Real Estate is a constantly changing enviroment and it seems that since this market has cooled off a bit, the terms are changing at an even faster pace. The mortgage business and the appraisal side of this business can sometimes be the bain of our existance, but a necessary bain. As we all know, the mortgage business has been turned upside down and continues to try and find its way. The sub-prime market is pretty much gone and the days of the 80% / 20% loans are bleak. Three years ago, I didn't even have to really think about the mortgage business. Today, I have to stay on top of the available mortgages in order to get my buyers into homes. I am constantly talking with different mortgage lenders about the available products out there and what they see coming down the pipeline. FHA is huge and going to be even bigger. Two years ago, nobody wanted to touch FHA and now it seems to be the mac-daddy of all mortgages. Friday, I discovered an older loan program that deals with Rural Developments. It's a great program that has been around for a while, but was over-shadowed by the 80/20's. This market is a whole different ball game for Realtors and we HAVE to stay up with the market or we will get left behind. Blog or call me if you have any specific questions. I am not at all saying that I am an expert on the matter, but I will say that I have a lot better education now. The mind is like a sponge, you either soak it up or it dries up. Of course, occasionally I have to ring mine out.
Did everyone see the article that was printed in the USA Today last week? I have been telling everyone in my posts, that it wasn't as bad here as the media typically lets on. Click on the link and take a look for yourself. Keep the e-mails and posts coming. Love to answer any of your questions that you may have.
I had actually previously blogged about Chattanooga's only UFO being up for sale. Well, now the sellers have decided to take a more "Worldly" approach and auction the extraterrestrial house off. I have actually seen it advertised recently on CNN and various places on the web like MSN.com. The auction will take place on March 15 and should be an out-of-body experience. Click on the link to see pictures and learn more about what Trekkie's around the globe are talking about.
Yes folks, I am blazing a new path in the area of Chattanooga Real Estate. I have just received my Eco-Broker Designation and I am the first one out of over 1,500 agents to obtain such an honor. The closest other Eco-Broker would be in Atlanta.
The Eco-Broker Class has taught me many things about Green Building practices and how to cut your energy almost in half by using passive solar power (basically the direction your house sits). I also have learned how we can all make better choices when buying appliances, HVAC units, water heaters and many other items for our homes.
I truly feel that one day, Americans will have to find alternative fuel sources and we will also HAVE to be educated consumers in the Energy Efficiency category. The Eco-Broker designation will put me ahead of the pack in educating my buyers and sellers about the potential benefits and pitfalls of the home buying purchase.
If you would like more information about how you can make your home more "Green", please don't hesitate to call me or log onto the website http://www.ecobroker.com/ Also, I can e-mail you some great websites that you could check out on your own for energy efficiency.
The Chattanooga Enviroment does matter to me and my number one goal is to provide my buyers and sellers with more knowledge (than my competitors) so that they can make the most educated decision possible. Check out these sites, you may find the information very useful:
The Chattanooga Association of Realtors have just released their December numbers for year end 2007 and it is actually not that bad. The Chattanooga MLS has market numbers of 427 units sold, down 3.5% from November. Doesn't sound that bad to me, taking into consideration the numbers usually fall during the month of December because of the holidays. We are still off 18.8% from 2006 during the same month. Remember, that we are comparing these numbers to December 2006, which was the biggest real estate year in history. The year 2007 shaped up to be the third best year in Chattanooga Real Estate.
I wanted to briefly add to my last post about short sales, now known as pre-foreclosure sales. I actually have 3 pre-foreclosure sales working right now in the Chattanooga area. From extensive conversations with several lenders, this can be the way to go to save you from foreclosure. The lenders are telling me that they are will to take a loss of at least 20% of the mortgage to keep the home from going into foreclosure. A number like 20% could make or break your financial future and credit score. I will say however that this can be a timely process and there are no guarantees on whether or not it will work. Once you have an offer in place, the lender may accept the offer, the lender may counter the offer or the lender may reject completely and start the foreclosure proceedings (depending upon your particular deliquency). If you plan on doing a pre-foreclosure, please be prepared to jump through paperwork hoops and meet all deadlines. This still doesn't give you the for sure on whether or not it will work, but it sure beats the heck out of the alternative. Call me if you have any questions.
Office Phone: (423) 265-0088
Cell Phone: (423) 595-7958
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This is a blog with information regarding what is going on in the Chattanooga area concerning the real estate market and news that I or you find relevent. This is not a blog for just advertising myself and my services. I truly want to make this a forum for information in Chattanooga and the surrounding area.
Realtor Ryan
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