"Based on the information you have provided, I am proud to tell you that I see no reason that we cannot approve your application for a home loan." This loan letter from a real, live loan officer has so many holes in it that it is completely useless. In fact, we cannot even tell if a loan applicat...

11/08/2013

NOT SO FAST: Send a copy of the Earnest Money check with the contract

74 Comments

At times, the seller will require the buyer's agent to provide a copy of the earnest money check, especially with the purchase of a foreclosure property. Seems innocent enough, doesn't it? When you email a copy of a check, however, you may not realize that you are putting your client in jeopardy...

11/05/2013

Thankful posts

2 Comments

Especially on Facebook, I'm seeing lots of daily posts about thankfulness. Some of those posts get a little bit redundant maybe even boring as the people get into the month--yeah, I know that makes me the Grinch of the season. But speaking of seasons I really AM grateful that I live in the part o...

11/04/2013

Septic tank creativity

2 Comments

Septic tanks always create special situations, especially when the ground fails a perk test. I had a listing not too long ago that had that very issue. The backyard had been compacted by previous owners as they were attempting to dig a lagoon. That process rendered the backyard completely unusabl...

11/03/2013

Life simplified: An ode to purses and watches

1 Comments

I am often amazed at how some women are mesmerized by expensive purses and by women's dependence on them. During my teaching years, I relied on the district-issued lesson planner to be my all purpose planner, sometimes with sticky notes or paper-clipped notes added to the pages. Once I became a t...

11/02/2013

REO property had accepted offer in two days. Is that fishy?

15 Comments

Question: "I bid today on a Fannie Mae REO property in FL that came on the market 2 days ago just to find out that they had already accepted an offer... I suspect something is shady with this listing. Can you please give me feedback about what I can do? I thought that Fannie Mae properties should...

11/01/2013