susan gregory realtor: Distressed Sales Sink to 10% of Market for August 2013 - 09/12/13 06:23 AM
Latest Orange County Real Estate Stats
The Orange County real estate market continues to shift as fewer distressed sales made up the final closed transactions for the month of August 2013.  Just 10% of closed sales were foreclosures, short sales, REO properties, down from 14% in July.
What does this mean to home sellers and buyers?  Generally a distressed property will sell for less than a standard equity sale.  This is due very often to the condition of the property, the length of time to process the transaction-such as a short sale-and very often the home being sold in "as-is" condition.
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susan gregory realtor: FICO Credit Score - Common Sense Does NOT Apply! - 09/05/12 05:36 AM
Everyone wants a good credit score, and the FICO score is the most often used model to determine just who is "credit worthy".  Figuring out how to obtain and keep a high credit score is tricky-the exact model and criteria are TOP SECRET.  This information is kept hidden so that folks won't be able to manipulate their scores and corrupt the system.
However, if you want to get the very best interest rate on a new home loan, credit card, car loan or just about any other type of financing, it pays to understand some of the hidden truths to the … (0 comments)

susan gregory realtor: List Your Capistrano Beach House-Price to Sell, and Get Highest Price - 08/21/12 09:11 AM
A survey of home sellers recently discovered that 76% felt that that list price recommended by their agent was too low.  The majority of sellers feel that their home is worth more-but why?  It can be difficult for sellers to step back and take an objective look at their home-but that is exactly what needs to be done in order to list your home at a price that will sell.
The prime opportunity for selling your home is in the first two weeks after listing it.  Buyers are excited and your home gets the most exposure and attention during this period.  … (1 comments)

susan gregory realtor: HAFA Short Sale-New Updates to Program Allow Rental, Vacant Homes - 06/19/12 08:00 AM
The government short sale program, HAFA, has been revised and effective June 1, 2012 more loans will now be eligible to participate.  Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives is a part of the Making Home Affordable program initiated by the Treasury Department over 3 years ago.  Since that time, very few homeowners have been able to qualify for assistance, and so the guidelines have been relaxed a bit to allow more borrowers to avoid foreclosure.
HAFA provides some important protections for homeowners who are underwater on their home and need a fresh start.  The goal is to provide a standard, streamlined process that … (0 comments)

susan gregory realtor: How to Sell your Home For Top Dollar-Big Bang Simple Projects - 03/28/12 08:19 AM
Making your home looks as appealing as possible before you put it on the market for sale can pay off big time-in fact some simple remodeling projects offer the most "bang for your buck" and result in not only faster sales, but the home sells for more money as well.
Some projects, such as a kitchen remodel, can be a major job, but averages a return on your investment of over 72%.  Here is a list of the Top 6 Returns on your investment:
Siding Replacement:           78% cost recouped Entry Door Replacement:     73% cost recouped Attic Bedroom Addition:       72.5% cost recouped … (2 comments)