How Being Smarter Than A Caveman Can Save You Money NOW!
Just like the popular ad tagline refers to, saving EASY money is a no brainer, right?
Well, let me tell you a little bit about how being smarter than a caveman can save you big money now and in the immediate future!
You see, we've just had a time change and that would have been a HUGE deal to cavemen back in the day if they had time changes. Why? Because if you didn't notice, it was completely dark by about 6pm last night.
As a caveman, you would have spent your whole summer gathering and foraging and storing up food because as the days got shorter, it became time to become a more sedentary being. In the interest of self preservation (not just saving money!) you would start to stay inside more and go outside a lot less.
Don't follow the caveman's example! They did, afterall, go extinct, right?
Nope, it's time to get out there and find and close on your home! Why?
It's purely a SAVE MONEY opportunity that even a Caveman wouldn't miss (if they were still around ya know!)
Here's why:
First of all there is the most obvious thing. The recent tax credit that is being voted on and likely to be passed will not only give the first time home buyers an opportunity to save some money on their taxes (don't look for a lot of that in the near future!) but it is supposed to expand to anyone who has lived in their house for 5 of the last 8 years. In other words, if you have owned your home for 5 years, you can now do that MOVE UP and get your tax credit!
Secondly, your buying power is pretty good this time of year! Why? Because, let's face it, selling a home is a pain in the rear! Anyone who is selling their home right now, during the last two months of 2009, means business. The holidays are creeping up on us and if your home is on the market right now, it means that you NEED to sell your home. It's not the home seller that says, "let's put it out there and if I get the price I want, I'll move".
Nope, the sellers that are active now are looking to sell and while they certainly aren't giving their home away, you know they are serious and they want to work out a reasonable deal for you!
Thirdly, and this is the one that is so often overlooked, Texas is a Homestead state. We have a homestead tax exemption but you have to be in the home on JANUARY 1st. That means, close by December 31st! If you do not close on your home by the end of 2009, you will cost yourself a nice chunk of change in taxes next year. Especially if it's your plan to move just after the first of the year!
For example, if you purchase your typical Katy or Cypress home, average price near $200,000 (the median price in the area is about $185,000 but let's make the math simple!). If your tax rate is 3.5%, then you taxes will be right about $7,000. With the homestead, it will save you about $1500, your first year in the property!
Now, C'mon, that's a no brainer...certainly YOU can use that $1500 next year a lot more effectively than the government can, right?
Lastly, get into your new home and there is nothing like breaking in the new home with Christmas decorations! (ok, maybe that's not a real reason to be smarter than the slug caveman is this time of year, but it sure is a nice BONUS!)
So doesn't that make a lot of CENTS? Well, more likely DOLLARS?
Call us now if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the West Houston, Katy and Cypress area!
We are the Katy and Cypress area specialists! Call the team with any questions: 281-935-7152 or our Toll Free information line (anytime): Call (877)472-5390 and use the code to hear about the topic:
Short Sale Information Code: 7003 $5000 Buyer Guarantee, Code: 7004
How can I find a short sale agent in Katy and Cypress Texas?
Short sales are a big part of the real estate world right now. It's the hot buzzword of the day around real estate offices. But, not every agent who tries to conduct a short sale is really able to do so. The law doesn't require a specialization so it's important to make sure your agent you hire KNOWS what they are doing. The consequences of failure on a short sale can impact you and your family for years to come!
The first thing you have to do is ask some very pertinent questions of the agent that presents themselves as a "short sale agent". Ask questions that a Katy and Cypress area short sale agent should know:
First things first, ask:
How many short sales do you typically work on in a month?
---typically I handle anywhere from 3-7 short sales on an active ongoing basis each month but I know many agents that do 1-2 a year. As a gauge, 1-2 a year closed short sales is not enough experience to trust this very important task to. In our area, I know of one agent that promotes himself as a "SHORT SALE AGENT" and has about 20 short sale listings. Sounds good,right? Until you dig a little deeper and find that this agent has NO recorded Short Sale closings in the last 5 years!
How long have you been working short sale transactactions?
--many agents are going to say, yep, I've been doing them for a year or so now. Fact is, they really started becoming prominent in the last year but I've been doing short sales for over 4 years now. My first short sale transaction was done just over 4 years ago and I had A LOT of help with getting it to close. Problem is that many short sale agents that are working on their first short sale do not get the help they need or they don't have access to the help they need. Nowadays, seems when other agents really needs help with a short sale, I seem to be the one they call. I'm flattered and glad to help where I can! One word of warning, everyone has to learn somewhere but do you really want to be a listing agent's first short sale?
Does Your team have a dedicated "short sale/foreclosure" specialist?
--most agents are a one man/woman show. They do it all and trust me, as a real estate agent running your own business, you are responsible for A LOT of things. However, with our team, you will have a dedicated Short Sale Specialist who will work on your file to get it to closing!
Is your short sale package deemed "complete" by most banks that you deal with on foreclosures?
--very important! Why? Because the short sale process takes to long to miss your turn at bat. As these negotiators work files, when they come to one that is not complete (and there are a set of documents and things that a bank needs to even process a short sale), then they generally just bypass your file and move on to the next one! That could lengthen the process by a month or two more and in this world of bank foreclosures, you may not have that time! OUCH!
Can you have me prepared for the short sale prior to the offer coming in so it's not a mad scramble to try to collect the paperwork and information that the bank needs?
--I try very hard to foresee everything the bank wants. Most of it is pretty stock but occasionally, the bank comes up with some new wrinkle. Most of the time, I will have you prepared and ready to go when the offer comes in. BUT, remember that I can only show you what you need to gather and get ready for me, I can not actually gather that personal information for you!
Do you work with a short sale team or coach that helps you if you have issues with a particular short sale?
--of course. I have an entire network of real estate professionals that I consult with if there are problems. The more that I have gotten done, it seems that problems come up less and less, but the network is always there and available if we do have questions! VERY IMPORTANT!
Won't a bank do a short sale for me directly?
--Not usually. Most of the time, the bank wants a licensed real estate agent on the job in order to commit to a short sale attempt. I use the analogy of football. Most people know a little about football, right? You know, you run or throw the ball and try to get into the endzone to score a touchdown, right? But you will get beaten badly if you do not know the rules of the game...such as what is a fumble, an interception, out of bounds, perhaps understanding other scoring options like field goals or safeties. You have to be aware of the rules in order to play in the game succesfully. Most don't know the rules, but rest assured, the banks do! You need to have a short sale agent that knows the rules and can put you on the same footing as the banks when it comes to gametime!
Are there other options to short sale that I might not be aware of?
--yes, there might be other options that you have not considered and each circumstance is different. We will look at the options and make sure you understand what those options are.
The National average for short sales to close is less than 70% success. What is your success percentage?
--that's right. Over 30% of all short sales attempted fail. Why? Sometimes it's the property, sometimes it's the bank, sometimes it's the agent, but that is a startling fact when you consider the end of the road option on a short sale is FORECLOSURE. As of this writing, I have never had a short sale that I took on that failed to close. Some have shortened my life with stress and gone down to the last possible minute, but we have successfully closed every listing that we have taken as a short sale in the Katy and Cypress area. So right now, in Katy, Cypress and the entire West Houston area, we have a 100% success rate! That certainly is a stat worth protecting!
Call us now if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the West Houston, Katy and Cypress area!
We are the Katy and Cypress area specialists! Call the team with any questions: 281-935-7152 or our Toll Free information line (anytime): Call (877)472-5390 and use the code to hear about the topic:
Short Sale Information Code: 7003 $5000 Buyer Guarantee, Code: 7004
This post is amazing in it's perspective. A true look at a shift in thought patterns of the Amercian public between 1930 and 2009. I am re-blogging this for those that do not get a chance to see Janet's original post. Thank you for your very well written thoughts, Janet.
In the Depression of the 1930's, the jobless father of 4 asked the farmer if he could work on the farm for a day in exchange for food to feed his family.
In the Depression of 2010 do we just take the food from the farmer because, after all, you and your family are entitled to eat?
Are we:
Entitled to a life better than our parents had?
Entitled to own real estate?
Entitled to dis-own real estate?
Entitled to be bailed out?
Entitled to a job?
Entitled to health care? And to social security when we grow old?
You would sure think so by what surrounds us.
Why work? Why pay your bills? Why take care of your health and your finances? Why respect what others have earned?
Do we take the course that will help us? Or do we just help ourselves to what others have produced?
When did we start to believe that America owed us more thanlife, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
Is it because the government has redefined the word "rights" to include never needing to suffer?
Is it because a generation came of age when stock market wealth and real estate equity made it seem like real work was obsolete?
Did 100% stated income loans with a few years of teaser rates train us to believe the American Dream was what every American deserved?
Did plastic in our wallets make it seem like our rights included unlimited gratification?
Somehow, we have lost our way.
Let us hope to sprout fresh green grass across America we do not need to completely kill the roots.
Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker/Broker and Direct Lender Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area
Have you ever wondered why it takes up to 60 days to get removed from an email mailing list yet when you sign up for something it appears in your inbox instantaneously?
Have you ever wondered why your printer says "OUT OF INK" but when you take the cartridge out and shake it, it sure sounds a lot like it has ink left?
Have you ever wondered why a charge to your debit or credit card comes out of your account as soon as you swipe your card but a refund takes up to a week to be "processed"?
Have you ever wondered why CO2 is a toxic, world killing gas, but yet plants need it to make the O2 we are all so addicted to?
Have you ever wondered why mice and squirrels are CUTE but rats are hideous and disgusting?
Have you ever wondered short sales take so LONG?
Have you ever wondered why VHS became standard when BETA was such a better format?
Have you ever wondered why there were not seatbelts on The USS Enterprise?
Have you ever wondered why they don't make entire airplanes out of the indestructible material that they make the "little black box" out of?
Have you ever wondered who decided on "the flavors cats love best"? Have you ever wondered why there is an expiration date on Sour Cream?
Call us now if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the West Houston, Katy and Cypress area! We are area specialists who guarantee our results!
Call the team with any questions: 281-935-7152 or our Toll Free information line (anytime):
Call (877)472-5390 and use the code to hear about the guarantee:
I got a call over the weekend from an agent that ripped my rear about not returning a call.
Seems he called me a week or so ago and asked a question about a short sale property that I have. This property shows about 4 or 5 times a day, btw. I remember his message.
So he calls me and tells me that against his better judgement, he is submitting an offer for the property he called about and he is faxing it to me. I said thank you and that I am sure he found the answer to his question in the agent remarks before submitting. He said "no". I asked him if he read the MLS listing and in particular the agent remarks that had COMPLETE instructions on submitting to this particular lender processing the short sale. Again, No.
He went on to rip me for not returning his call to answer one simple question about the submission...I apologized and said that all the instructions were in the agent remarks in the MLS listing and while I do answer all my calls, on a priority basis (current clients, banks in negotiations, new customers first), I just didn't have time to respond to questions that are already answered.
I thanked the agent for the offer and told him I would be in touch as soon as knew anything and that if he had further questions, an email would be best to get a response. He told me I was "rude and thoughtless" and I let him have his last shot as we got off the phone.
After I got to thinking about it, I told my wife about it...she's is a great sounding board for me, especially when I second guess myself on the way I handled a particular situation...her response was just as the title said:
You're not rude, that agent's just lazy.
Dewberry Farm opened again on September 26th for their 8th season!
Dewberry Farm is located just west of Katy, north of I-10 on HWY 362 and our family goes every year. We have been going here for about 3 years but it just keeps getting better and better every year!
Prices are reasonable-- kids over 3 but younger than 55 are $11. Seniors are $8 and law enforcement and military are $9 with proper id!
There are things in the Dewberry Farm that have individual costs but they are reasonable and there is a TON of stuff to do that doesn't cost extra as well.
Also if you are looking for a great place to buy your pumpkins for the upcoming Jack-o-lantern season, you can get them here for 50 cents a pound!
Purchase Pumpkins Pumpkins are 50 cents per pound with a minimum of $1 per pumpkin and a maximum of $24 per pumpkin.
Goat Feeding 25¢ per container of feed
Corn Cannon $3.00 to shoot 9 ears of corn
Pedal Carts $3.00 for all day pass
Kidilla Hoppers $3.00 for all day pass
Pony Rides $5.00
<!--<b>Zeke's Lost Treasure</b><br /> -->Gemstone Mining bags of 'rough' $5.00 to $7.00
Flower Bouquet Picking $5.00 per bouquet cup
Zip Lines $3.00 for all-day pass
Black Hole $2.00
Lighted Pumpkin Stroll (Saturday Nights) $3.00
Pumpkin Blaster 7 shots for $5 or 5 shots for $3
LOTS OF FUN! Click the banner for the Dewberry Farm site!
The first time home buyer tax credit is nearing the end of its run. The program started under the former President as a zero interest, short term loan and morphed into a true tax credit under the current housing agenda has just about run its course.
Yes, you do technically have until November 30th to close on your home in order to qualify for up to $8,000 on the credit, but stop for a minute and consider a couple of things:
Available inventory of homes is generally less during the final quarter of the year, having peaked in the summer months.
We do expect that many folks have waited to see exactly what will happen in the area, guessing whether prices will go up or down but all the while intending to buy.
The time it takes to actually CLOSE a home loan has increased as underwriting guidelines have tightened. Doesn't mean that there isn't money to loan, just that it takes more time to get through the approval and closing process.
For these reasons, as a local real estate professional, I would love to give you that little push off the fence to get out there and get your home lined up now, if you intend to take advantage of the first time home buyer credit. By the way, a first time homebuyer is defined as someone who has not owned a home in the last three years.
If you consider the three points above, you'll see that now is the time to get out there and secure your home and your tax credit. With closings taking between 45-60 days many times, by the time you search for your home and secure your financing, you can see how that easily puts you into November already!
If you have any questions about the first time home buyer's tax credit or need help buying or selling a home, please feel free to contact me directly!
I was reading a few blogs this morning about agents who do a good job, sell a home quickly and then are asked why they make so much money. It's a common misconception....
Many of you know my wife is in the dental field. She's a hygienist. She told me a joke a while back that stuck with me because sometimes there is more truth in jokes than we'd like to admit.
A guy goes into the dentist in excrutiating pain. His tooth, jaw and entire face is just throbbing from a tooth that just simply has to come out.
The dentist seats him in the chair and prepares to do the work that the patient needs. The patient stops the dentist.
"Doc, how much is this going to cost?"
"The extraction is $125.00, Mr. Smith"
"What?! $125.00? For 10 seconds of work!?"
The dentist replied, "well, if you'd like, I can pull it very, very slowly."
This goes right along with all our professionals...you pay for their knowledge and expertise and not necessarily their time.
Call us now if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the West Houston and Katy Texas area! We are area specialists who guarantee our results!
Call the team that knows Katy at 281-935-7152 or our Toll Free information line (anytime):
Call (877)472-5390 and use the code to hear about the guarantee:
Short Sale Finally Closed, 2306 Oxford Brook Court, Katy TX 77493
This one just about killed me to get done. Wells Fargo did everything they could to keep this thing from closing...
This property listed in December 2008 and got it's first offer in January 2009. The offer was actually a very good one considering what was owed on the property.
So January, February, March go by and Wells Fargo is slow on the trigger....other offers come in, which is good because the first buyers bowed out.
April, May and June go by and we have the clear to sell it, and close it.
July 31st...that's when it closed. A full 7 months to close this short sale! I've never had one that was this difficult but I guess there is a first time for everything. The good news is that going forward, they HAVE to be easier than that one does.
It also keeps my close rate on SHORT SALES at 100%. The national average is 70% of short sales actually close. I see agents around here that don't close even 50% of their short sales and the home owner ends up in foreclosure.
It was the best of houses, it was the worst of houses.
It was the time of staging, it was the time of clutter.
It was a time of educated and enlightened sellers, it was the time of uninformed, unmotivated sellers.
Yesterday, I showed a buyer several houses. From the time we approached what we will call house one, it was apparent that they liked it. They liked the front porch and general appearance of the home.
We entered the home and it could not have been a more precise floor-plan to what they had been looking for. The house, while not neutrally painted, was tastefully and PROFESSIONALLY painted. It was also apparent that it was STAGED. The furniture in place, optimized to show off ample living spaces...the office set up as an office, the bedrooms with the beds made and a soft gently clean smell as well a softly playing music in the background made this house "FEEL" like home the second my buyers entered. They spent a lot of time looking at the home and considering it's benefits.
Two houses later, we approached another home that looked very similar to the one they had liked. It was obvious that it would be the same floorplan, just located several streets away in the same neighborhood.
We were met at the door by a mid 20ish gentleman in a white undershirt and boxer shorts. He welcomed us in and then went and joined his spouse on the couch as he played a video game in the living room while his wife worked on a laptop. They acted as though we were not present.
The house was the exact floor-plan, but something was different. The office was cluttered with papers and mess. The living room, though tiled nicely, was dirty and cluttered. Around the TV niche that the buyers had liked so much in the other home were gobs of wires and electronics that seemed to be haphazard in their arrangement.
The beds in the bedrooms were not made.
The kitchen was dirty and the sink had dishes in it.
My buyers looked at the office, kitchen and living room and said "Thank You" and headed for the door.
Once outside, my buyers and I briefly spoke of the house we had just left. They were not comfortable commenting on the house with the owners sitting there watching. They were not happy with this house even though the floor-plan, as we noted in the first house was PERFECT.
The price difference on these two houses? $12,000!!! The Staged House was listed at $12,000 more than the unstaged, owner managed house. Let me put that in perspective for you because $12,000 to a $500,000 home is not the same as this home. This staged home is listed at $125,000 and the second, exactly the same home, built the same year home is $113,000. ALMOST 10% difference in price!
One of the two homes ended up on my buyer's final three that they want to consider and see again before making an offer today. It wasn't the one that was $12,000 less.
Could presentation REALLY make all the difference in an offer when there is that large of a price difference? What do you think the cost of the staging was? Was it $12,000? No, probably not. And even if it was, and it brought that $12,000 back to the owner in 2 weeks rather than 6 months on the market, wouldn't that still be worth something? I have no doubt this house will sell...quickly. Maybe even by the end of the day today if my buyers make that choice, but the other house will not, and certainly will not until the other house if off the market!
Don't take an agent's word for it...take a REAL LIVE BUYER'S word for it...That's all that really matters in the end anyway! Isn't it?
We have professional stagers that we work with. Your home listing may qualify for our initial consultation with one of our stagers, you get the benefit of the consultation and we pick up the tab...it's just that important. Call us now for your appointment to see if your home qualifies!
Call us now if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the West Houston and Katy Texas area! We are area specialists who guarantee our results!
Call the team that knows Katy at 281-935-7152 or our Toll Free information line (anytime):
Call (877)472-5390 and use the code to hear about the guarantee:
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
In the Depression of 2010 do we just take the food from the farmer because, after all, you and your family are entitled to eat?
Is it because a generation came of age when stock market wealth and real estate equity made it seem like real work was obsolete? 
Posted by 
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