From the Desk of Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum,

 Keller Williams Realty Tacoma 253 212 1252- www.teammomentumrealestate.com

Dear Clients and Friends:

For many it feels like even though Spring is finally here seasonally, Winter has just begun personally and Spring is a long way off.  As I call and talk with my clients I find that many of your friends have experienced job layoffs and hour reductions, and you are worried about it happening to your family.

The Troubling News

I am also hearing that many are seeing increases in their interest paid and monthly payments on debt they are carrying, even though they've never missed a payment.  I am hearing from those running their own businesses that things are slower in many cases.   I will admit that my family's life has not been immune.  My husband has a partial layoff currently which has cut his income by almost 30%, and I have been very busy, with delays in commissions as we wait for bank approvals on short sales.

The Good News

So, there's some good news if you, your friends or family members recognize that this is an opportune time to buy a house - and it is, since homes are SO much more affordable than even a year ago.  There is an $8000.00 Tax CREDIT for buying a home if you have not owned one in the last 3 years!  Other good news:  if you are living in a home that you have outgrown, for whatever reason, there has never been a better time to move up.  Sure, the home you are in is worth less, but the home you WANT is priced far lower too; in the end you save, since the move-up home has dropped more than the one you may be in!

Part of the Solution

Other good news is that many individuals and families are getting back to basics.  They are spending more time together and less money on luxuries.  As a whole, people are reevaluating their situations and many are starting their own businesses, adding other options for income to their lives and finding ways to happily do with less.  When I am talking with all of you, even those of you in great difficulty are optimistic.

And Here's How I Can Help

It's touching; many of you are more worried about your friends and extended family than about yourselves.  Which brings me to the fact that in talking with a number of you, I've discovered I have never shared with many of you some of the ways I can help.  For the last 3 years I have come to specialize in Short Sales and Foreclosure Prevention Counseling.  Did you know that when people get into trouble and get behind on or are unable to continue paying for their homes, over 75%  of these folks never even talk to anyone about it?  Most don't even know who to call.  Now when you find you have a friend or family member (or work mate or neighbor) who is in trouble, you know you have a friend to whom you can introduce them, who will help them figure out their options and who has the resources they may need.  Who do you know who might need my help?

Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, www.teammomentumrealestate.com

"No matter how long the Winter....Spring is sure to follow"- Proverb

Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma www.teammomentumrealestate.com