Desirability of the city plays a huge role in real estate prices and how they are affected by the economy. Three cities where this is prevalent are New York, Boston and San Francisco. Although all markets in the country saw a large decline in home value, these cities were less impacted. Demand is still high and prices we begin to rise.

Now, what makes these cites different than others in our country. Yes, they are large and urban, but there are other large urban cities. So we know that is not the reason. Maybe it is because they are relatively coastal cities. Well, Seattle is coastal and Washington DC is relatively close to the coast, as well. So, we know it’s not that.

What I believe is the key reason why these 3 cities stand out compared to all others in our country is they international cities and are filled with ambitious, driven people. This spurs great competitions and we all know competition leads to innovation. People just want to live there. Most have a preference to one of the three and they all have different things to offer.

So remember, if you want to be successful, surround yourself with ambitious people and compete to the best of your abilities.

Given the wake of the recent foreclosure epidemic, I want to take some time to provide a means of knowing if you and your home are at risk.  The foreclosure process is long and complicated, but it is possible to minimize your losses and the impact on your credit.  The key is to solve the problem as soon as possible. Don't wait around.  The further along the process, the harder it is to stop.

There are 3 main stages the homeowners will deal with before the foreclosure process begins.  The first stage is you notice it is becoming harder and harder to pay all your bills, feed your family, and make your monthly payments. Next, you realize you won't be able to pay your next mortgage payment. And finally, you miss that payment.  As I said above, the best time to solve the problem is before that payment is missed.  If you are current on your mortgage, your lender will be likely to work with your to prevent missing a payment.

As soon as you know you will have trouble making your payment, call your lender. Let them know there has been a change in your financial situation. Medical bills, insurance, children, school can all be acceptable reasons for your issues. There is a good chance they can postpone the due date of the payment or allow you to double up on your next payment. The benefit of letting them know beforehand is, you are in good standing with the company and you avoid penalties and late fees.

Now, say you did the above, but you still need help. You will want to contact your lender about a loan modification. If you have not missed a payment, there is a really good chance you are eligible for one of the new government programs.  You can also contact a third party mortgage broker to have them act as your negotiator which may get better terms on the modification. Finally, you can consult with a HUD-approved Housing Counselor. Find one at http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm or call (800) 569-4287.

Above is what you do if you know you will, but have not yet missed a payment. If you have already missed one or more payments, solving the problem becomes much harder.  After your first missed payment, your lender will begin sending you letters requesting payment or to contact them. It is always a good idea to call them. You do not want your lender to think you are avoiding them.  Although, technically, the foreclosure action can start as soon as your first payment is reported delinquent, in California, banks tend to wait for the loan to be 90 days delinquent before they begin the action. Keep in mind, each state has its own laws and practices and I will be mostly concentrating on California.

Ok, so here is a timeline of the foreclosure process in California. Most states are similar but it is always good to check with a real estate attorney or mortgage lender in your state. Remember, California uses Deeds of Trust as security for property loans, so it is a non-judicial foreclosure state. If your state uses mortgages as the security, then it would be a judicial foreclosure state and the timeline will be different. Also, just to clarify terms used in the timeline; the Trustee is the home owner, the Trustor (usually the lending bank) manages the loan for the Beneficiary, who is the owner of the note. The beneficiary can be a bank, private investor or other investor.

90 days (approx.) after missed payment - Lender will request to initiate foreclosure.

Day 1 - Notice of Default (NOD) is recorded with the county and Trustee's Sale (TS) is ordered

Day 2 to 10 - Notice of Default is sent to the owner and the property address (if different).

Within 1 Month - NOD is sent to all interested parties and TS is received and reviewed.

3 Months after recording NOD - TS is prepared and sent to publication

25 Days before Sale - IRS is notified of sale

20 Days before Sale - Begin Publishing sale, Post Notice of Sale on the Property, and mail the Notice to all interested parties (same as NOD).

14 Days before Sale - Notice of Trustee's Sale is Recorded by the County

5 Days before Sale - Buyers right to reinstate the loan expires

Day of Sale - Property is Sold, Sale is postponed or the Property reverts to the Beneficiary.

DISCLAIMER: This timeline is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice or an official description of the judicial or non-judicial process. The timeline is for consumer information only and based on California policies. It is advised all consumers seek professional legal counsel with regard to any default proceeding.

Continuing with advice for sellers, this article covers the staging process. Staging a home is when you make the interior as neutral and welcoming as possible. Remember from last week, first impressions are everything. There are two ways you can tackle staging your home. You can do it yourself or hire a professional. Both have their advantages. If you are going to be living in the house while it is on the market, I recommend doing the staging yourself. It shouldn't take more than a weekend and can also make the moving process easier.

If you already moved and the house is empty, hire a professional. They can be a great asset in the presentation of your home. You do have another option if you already moved. You can leave the house empty. I don't recommend this. Although it's a good way to save money, it is hard for buyers to imagine what an empty house will look like with furniture in it. Every staging pro will have their own concepts and you should use similar discretion as you would when hiring a Real Estate. (insert hyperlink)

When staging a home yourself, there are 3 steps to address. The first is the removal of personal items. Next is organizing the storage and living space. And lastly is cleaning. The purpose of removing most of your personal items is to allow prospective buyers to imagine their stuff all over the place. The home should look like a blank slate.

The items you want to address are personal awards and photos. You should take most if not all of your pictures, diplomas, and/or awards off the walls. It is ok to leave some artwork, but it should be neutral. If you have kids, pack up most of their toys and put them away. Not all buyers have kids and toys also tend to add clutter. This goes for any collections you may have.

After you are done removing your personal items, you can start organizing your space. It is a good idea to get rid of extra furniture from the living and family rooms. This includes pool tables, sculptures, mounted animals, and religious figures. It's best for rooms to look clean, simple, and organized. This gives buyers the best opportunity to visualize how the house will look when they move in. When it comes to the bathrooms, it is best if there is uniformity. It is a good idea to create some form or simple theme. At the least, each bathroom should have matching towels and floor mats. The bathrooms should also be free of unnecessary items and appliances.

Finally there is cleaning. All your previous efforts are pointless if the buyers walk in to a dirty house. Carpets need to be vacuumed and possibly steam cleaned; depending on their condition. Tile and laminate should be mopped and hardwood floors should be waxed. Remember, spending some money upfront can be very beneficial for both your selling price and the time spent on the market. Also, if your home needs it, touch up the interior paint. This can make a huge difference.

Before you start showing your home, it is a good idea to make it as presentable as possible. This includes making some repairs and/or improvements. This stage of the selling process is call “pre-marketing”.

The first part of the home you want to check is the exterior, including the yard. First impressions are very important, especially with homes. You want the buyer to pull up to your house and say “wow”. For your back yard, make sure your lawn is green and mowed and clean your outdoor furniture. The front should be as inviting as possible so you want to do the same as you did with the back, plus more. Trim the hedges, give the fence a fresh coat of paint, and make sure the drive way is clean and free of clutter. You may even want to consider planting some bright colored flowers to make the front more welcoming.

As for the exterior of the house itself, it’s a good idea to touch up the paint. Make sure mail box is clean and the numbers a legible. You also want to check for any cracks in the chimney or walls and have them filled. Finally, you should repair any loose trim or drain pipes, and clean the windows and doors.

Next is the garage. This is pretty simple. All you need to do is make sure it is organized and clean the floor. You want the buyer to feel the garage is large, with plenty of storage space. If your garage is messy, buyers will be turned off.

Finally, you need to work on the interior. As with the outside, touching up the paint is a good idea. However, you may want to consider repainting in neutral tones. Most buyers want a home that is like a “blank canvas”, ready for them to make their own. Although you may love your deep red dining room, but if someone is not particularly fond of red, it can be a turn off. Carpets and drapes should be steam cleaned and all the light bulbs need to be working. In the kitchen, make sure the counters are and sink are spotless. Also clean the stove and oven. Make sure the bedrooms and closets are clean and organized as well.

Overall, you want the house to look very clean, bright, and inviting. It is also a good idea to hire an interior designer or home staging specialist, if your home in is a higher priced area.

I hope this provides some useful information, and as always, feel free to ask a question or leave a comment below.

So now that I’ve spent some time giving tips for consumers looking to buy a home, I will devote my next few post to providing advice for sellers.  Even though the market is dominated by foreclosures and short sales, which are significantly discounted compared to a traditional sale, it still could be the right time to sell.  There are a lot of buyers out there, with great credit, looking for a new home.  Many buyers don’t want to have to deal with the headache or drama associated with foreclosures and short sales so they prefer to buy a non-distressed home, even if they have to pay more for it.

The first step in selling your home, is selecting a Realtor.  A good Realtor can be one of the most important parts of selling your home.  They will provide you will information regarding current market conditions and where you should price your home.  They can also provide referrals to staging and moving companies.

You want to look for an agent who is active and knowledgeable in your area.  It is also common to use the same agent you used when you first purchased the home, provided you are happy with their service.  As with selecting an agent for the buying process, you want to make sure you are comfortable with him or her.  Does the agent answer your questions sufficiently? How quickly do they respond to your phone calls? These are the types of questions to ask yourself.

What it really comes down to, is you want an agent whom you are comfortable with and who will best market your property.  There are many marketing venues when it comes to real estate and your agent should utilize a lot of them.  The best agents will use, MLS, virtual tours, social media, craigslist and a few listing web sites.  The key is to make your property as visible as possible.  The more people who see your how, the more likely you will sell it quickly and for your asking price.  They should also follow up with agents who showed the home and ask for their input on the price, staging and condition of the home.

Remember, what you don’t want is a “yes man”.  You agent should have an extensive knowledge of the market and the industry, and they should know more than you.  Therefore, listen to their suggestions.  They want to sell your home just as much as you do and they know what works and what doesn’t.

Next time I will go over what pre-marketing is and what you should be doing during that process.  Take care and remember, good things come to those who make it happen!

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had a great Holiday break and New Year. Now that we are back to the grind, I will continue with tips for home buyers. If you remember, my last two posts went over getting started and finding the right home. Today, I will talk about what to do once you find the right house. This includes the inspections and making an offer.

Having an inspection is a very important part of the home buying process. It is one of the ways you “the buyer” can protect yourself from any problems with the functionality or construction of the home. The primary purpose of the inspection is to check and estimate the cost to repair any issues with pests, water, foundation and all other aspects of construction. If there a major problem is discovered, the inspector may recommend a more specific inspection of that area.

You also need to consider if the home is in a flood plain. Your Realtor will answer this question for you and if it is, you will be required to purchase flood insurance. If you are near, but not in a flood plain, you still should consider buying flood insurance because floods are typically not covered in basic home owners insurance. Other factors you want to consider are probability of natural disasters, zoning laws, and building codes. These are all questions your real estate agent should be able assist you with. Some states, including California, require the seller give a natural hazards disclosure statement to buyers which covers earthquakes, floods, wildfires and dams.

It is important that you have the inspection done before you make an offer, because once your offer is accepted, it is legally binding. If you do not have an inspection done before the offer, you need to make sure your offer contains an “inspection contingency”. This allows you to pull out of the sale if the inspection finds any major problems. I’ll go offers and contingencies next.

Making an offer is not a difficult process, but it’s not as easy and telling the seller you will buy the house for the asking price. There is a specific format and all offers should include the following:

Complete legal description of the property

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Move-in date

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Closing date

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Amount of deposit

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Down payment amount and financing details

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Purchase price

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Time period for which the offer is valid

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Details of the offer

The legal description of the property is not just the address. It describes the specific parcel of land and how it was accounted for in county’s map and usually contains the property’s Assessor Parcel Number (APN). The move-in date is the day you wish to occupy the home and the closing date is the day ownership is legally transferred.

Your deposit is a sum of money, included with the offer, which you give to the seller to show you are “serious” about buying the home. It is usually 1 to 5 percent of the purchase price. If your offer is accepted, the deposit becomes part of your down payment. If it is rejected, then the deposit is returned to you. The down payment amount and full purchase price need to be included as well. Most banks want to see a 20% down payment, but there is no “mandatory standard” so it is always negotiable.

The details sections will include any contingencies regarding the offer/purchase. Contingencies are items which must be fulfilled by either party or the agreement can be terminated. There are a wide variety of contingences, but some of the major ones involve inspections, financing, and the purchase/sale of other homes. An example of the purchase contingency would be if the seller only wanted to sell if they found a new home to buy. Sale contingencies would be used if the buyer didn’t want to buy the home unless they can sell their other home.

Determining the purchase price and contingencies are the hardest parts of making an offer and this is when it is good to have a knowledgeable agent. They will know what similar homes are selling for in similar areas and how different types of financing affect the price. The amount of time the home has been on the market affects the price, as well. Usually, sellers will accept an offer which is lower than the list price, if the home has been for sale for a long time. Your agent will help you decided what contingencies are necessary, as each situation is different.

Remember, once an offer is accepted, it is legally binding. Meaning, if you submit an offer and it is accepted by the seller and all contingencies are fulfilled, you are legally bound to purchase the house. If you back out of the sale, your deposit may be forfeited to the seller and you may be liable for any losses incurred by the seller, seller’s agent, and/or your agent as a result of cancelling the agreement.

I hope this provided some good information for you and as always, if you have any questions or comments, leave them below. Take care and see you next week.

In continuation from last week, today’s blog will be tips for the home buying process. Let’s talk about how to find the right home for you!

When looking for a place to live, it is important to consider the community. You should pick a community that corresponds to your family’s needs. Do you have children? If yes, you would probably want to live in a good school district. How close to the freeway or public transportation do you want to be? Do you want to live in a busy area or a more quiet setting? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself. When you are considering a neighborhood, take a look around it and talk to the people who live there. You will be surprised how much useful information they can divulge.

Eventually, you will find a home you like and schedule a showing. When you are walking through the house, ask yourself:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Is there enough space for the present and the future?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Do you like the floor plan?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Is the yard what you want?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Do all the appliances work?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Does the home look to be in good condition?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Is it the right number of bed and bath rooms?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Will all your furniture fit? (Both in size and style)

It is important to find out what appliances and fixtures will be left and what the sellers are taking with them. Also, you want to picture (and possibly see) the home in different weather and times of day. This is the best way to really understand the home and the neighborhood. You don’t want to face any surprises after you are in contract.

When viewing homes, you should take a lot of pictures. You should capture the inside, outside, all the rooms and the yard. Also keep an eye out for anything you think may be an issue. If you don’t get all the pictures you want the first time, you can always go back for a second look. Also, ask your realtor for his/her professional opinion -they are a great resource.

Searching for the right home can be a long and daunting process. There is no set “magic number” of homes you should look at before you make your decision. You just need to keep looking until you find what you want. On average, you can expect to see between 10 and 20 homes before you find the right one. The best way to streamline the process is to make sure your agent knows everything that is important to you. This will ensure that you don’t waste time looking at places you know you don’t like.

I hope this makes your home buying process a little easier. Next week I will go over what to do once you found the home you want.

As always, feel free to ask a question or leave a comment below. Have great rest of the week!

With all that’s been going on with our economy real estate industry, there has been a lot of talk about now being the perfect time to buy a home. For many people, this is correct. Although lending guidelines are stricter than in the past, if you have decent credit, you can still get a great loan. There is a huge surplus of great homes for sale, prices are discounted and mortgage rates are at record lows. Because of these reasons, there are also a growing number of first-time home buyers hitting the market so I think it is a good time to go over the steps involved with the home buying process.

When trying to determine if you are ready to buy a home, ask yourself the following questions:

-Do you pay your current bills on time?

-Do you have steady income that is reliable?

            -Can you afford more monthly expenditures?

-Do you have savings for a down payment?

            -Do you have very little long-term debt? (i.e. car loan)

If you answered yes to these questions, you are most likely ready to buy.

To start the process, you must figure out what you need. Think about the size, area, and style of home you want. You should do some research online to see what is available and for how much money. You also need to figure out how much you can afford. This number may be lower than what the bank is willing to loan you, but you need to make sure your payments will not be so high that you cannot keep your other obligations.

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender is going to use two primary ratios to determine the maximum home you can afford. These are the Debt to Income ratio and Housing Expense to Income ratio. Your housing expense to income ratio is calculated by dividing your monthly mortgage payment by your gross monthly income. Gross income is your income before tax deductions and the ratio should not be more than 29%. Debt to income ratios are calculated by dividing your total reoccurring monthly debs by your gross monthly income. Those debts include credit card payments, personal loans, car payments, cell phone bills, alimony/child support, insurance and any other fixed bills which are paid every month. Your total debt should not be more than 41% of your gross income.

It is important to note, that these percentages are just guidelines and are not set in stone. Other factors which have influence are the down payment amount and overall net worth. Your net worth is the value of all your assets minus all your debts. If you have a high net worth, lenders will likely be very flexible when it comes to the ratios.

Next, you need to find the right real estate agent. Friends and family are a great source for finding agents. You should also look online; well-known agents should be easy to find through search engines like Google and Bing. Also check Realtor.com which does a good job of pairing clients with agents. Once you have a list of possible agents, you should start calling them. The best agents will have good knowledge of the area and will have many resources for finding you the right home. You want an agent who listens to you, not one who tries to make you change your mind a lot. The most important thing, however, is that you are comfortable and trust your agent. This is the best way of insuring you have a pleasant experience.

The final step, before actually looking for homes, is figuring out what you want and need from a property. Make a list of characteristics which are important to you. There should be two categories on the list; one for “must haves” and one for “wants”. This will make comparing houses easier. Think about the location, schools, size, yard, and age or anything else you think is important. Remember, this house is for you and your family. It is important to get what you want out of it.

So now you have some information to help get you started in the home buying process. You know how to figure out if you are ready to buy, what you can afford, how to choose a Realtor, and you have a list of what is important to you. Now is the time to get online and start doing some research. Check out as many websites as you can. You want to have some knowledge of what is on the market and what prices are like before you start visiting homes.

Next time I will go over how to find the perfect home for you; including what to look for in a community, where to get school info and evaluating comparable homes.

As always, feel free to leave a comment or question below and I will answer as soon as I can. Thanks and have a great rest of the week.

Say you have a decent amount of money in the bank and don’t just want it sitting there. You want to have your money work for you, so you need to invest it. When it comes to investing, there are pretty much limitless possibilities.  You can invest in stock, mutual funds, bonds, cash deposits (CDs), commodities (gold/oil), collectibles, and many others. Now, if you have a substantial amount of savings and a decent credit score, investing in real estate may be your best option.

When it comes to investing in residential real estate, there are three basic options. First, you can do what’s called “flipping”, where you purchase a home that needs substantial amount of repairs and/or renovation. You then have the repairs done and try and sell the home for profit. The second option is to purchase a home, rent it out, and then sell it once it value has appreciated enough to turn a profit.  Finally, you can purchase an apartment building, and use the rents to generate income. Investing in an apartment building requires much more capital and knowledge of property management than the first two and therefore, I will save it for a later post.

Ok, now you need to choose between a rental investment and flipping.  There are pros and cons to both.  One of the major benefits to flipping is the quick turnaround. You buy the house, fix it, and then sell it asap. This is good when you are looking for a way to make 15% or as high as 50% return in under a year. But, there is also a high amount of risk involved. There is often an underestimation of the costs of all the necessary repairs. Buying a home and renting it out tends to be a little less risky, but it takes longer to see the return. However, this type of investment does not require as much cash as flipping does, because you can use the rents to offset the mortgage payments.  Both types require a good amount of work, by the investor, but in different ways. With flipping, you need to make sure all the work gets done well and in a timely manner, where the other type requires handling tenants or finding a property manager to do it for you.

So now, let’s talk about what you should be looking for in these types of properties. When looking for a property, regardless of whether it is to fix and flip or hold, there are a few things you need to keep an eye out for. You want to make sure the property is in well-established area. This is because newer developments tend to have more price fluctuation verses older neighborhoods.  Another important aspect is the school system. The quality of the schools in an area greatly affects the demand for housing and because you plan on selling the property, you want it to be as marketable as possible. Remember, if you plan on renting the property, there are going to be people living at the house (probably a family) so a good school district is not just important for selling the house, but finding quality renters as well. Finally, you need to keep an eye out for properties with a low price to square food ratio, when compared to other properties in the area. These will tend to give the highest rate of return.

This is just a brief explanation on types of investment properties. I will go into detail about evaluating each type of property in later posts. If you have any comments or questions you would like answered, don’t hesitate to leave them below. Who know, your question might be my next blog post.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. See you next week.

Here is the final part in my short sale advise blog. It covers the application process for short sales and some other issues.

V.  Short Sale Application Process and Other Issues

Q  20.  What is the process for applying for a short sale?

A  It is always in the best interest of the borrower to keep the lender informed.  If the borrower is in default of the loan and is contemplating a short sale, it would be best for the borrower to let the lender know before the foreclosure proceedings are well under way.  The lender may or may not grant more time to the borrower to find a buyer.  In general, the process goes as follows:

·  First, the borrower must find a buyer for the property.

·  Second, the borrower must prepare all the necessary documents (See Question 17).

·  Third, the borrower must submit all documents to the lender.

·  Fourth, the lender will send out their own appraiser to make sure that the buyer's offer is at fair market value.

·  Fifth, the lender will make a determination on whether or not to agree to the short sale.

Q  21.  What documentation will a lender typically require?

A  Lenders will typically require a distressed borrower to furnish a variety of documents, which could include the following:

·  Written explanation (and proof) of the hardship the borrower is experiencing;

·  Copy of the purchase contract signed by both the buyer and seller (borrower);

·  Copy of the TDS;

·  Proof of the buyer's ability to purchase the property, i.e., a completed loan application, pre-approval by another lender, or evidence of cash on hand (bank statement);

·  Copy of the certified escrow instructions; 

·  Preliminary title report;

·  Estimated net/closing statement certified by an escrow officer acceptable to the lender;

·  Completed and signed IRS Form 4506, "Request for Copy of Tax Form;"

·  Completed and signed personal financial worksheet;

·  Previous two years tax returns;

·  Employment paycheck stubs for the past two months;

·  Profit and loss statement (if the borrower is self-employed);

·  Past three months bank statements.

Q  22.  Does C.A.R. provide any special forms for short sales?

A  Yes. REALTORS® may use C.A.R. form SSL (Short Sale Listing Addendum) when they take the listing and C.A.R. form SSA (Short Sale Addendum) should be available shortly to be used with a purchase agreement.

Q  23.  Where can I obtain additional information?
A  You may consult the seller's lender directly about their policies and what is required to apply for a short sale of a property.  The internal departments that handle short sales differ by lender.  You may try asking for the problem loan department, loan workout department, loss mitigation department, or foreclosure department.

As always, feel free to ask a question or leave a comment below. Take care and see you next week.