STILL sitting on the fence??? Time is running out!!!

I know you have seen me around town. It's always a "hi" and "bye", or "hey are you thinking of buying yet", "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Well, I'm not going to ask or push anymore, I never meant to. I just want to give you the facts....you decide for yourselves.

The $7500.00 tax credit is coming to an end. There is a bill to extend it for not only $7500 but a new $15,000. Unfortunately, it does not apply to everyone. You can read more about it here: $15,000 Tax Credit Information

Remember....YOU have to be the one to decide what is best for you. If you decide to move forward....read on....

In order to be able to qualify for the tax credit, any one who is eligible (please talk to your accountant), must be funded before midnight on November 30, 2009. I know that seems like forever from now, but it's not. Remember, Thanksgiving weekend takes 4 days from you just like that! So really it needs to be BEFORE Thanksgiving to be safe! Let me give you a scenario of what happens when you make an offer (by the way, this is for foreclosures and normal sellers - not short sales - that's a whole other world of time):

1. Have you owned a home within the last 3 years? If so, you probably don't qualify. If not, call your accountant and find out if you qualify for the $7500 - they will be able to tell you and give you the amount you will qualify for.

2. Go get pre-qualified! You MUST go and talk to a lender and find out where you stand financially. Everyone would love to hear the words "Hey you have great credit - you can get any home you want", not really going to happen....

A qualified lender will get all of your information and get you a "pre-qualification letter" asap. This is a must have before you go look at any homes. Especially if you are looking at bank-owned properties, they do not want to wait, so you better have your financing in order. A lot of areas in Utah (Beaver, Cedar City, etc) qualify for Rural Development Loans, this is a definite avenue I would speak to my lender about.

3. Get together with a Realtor and let them know what you are looking for and how much your lender says you qualify for. Your Realtor will pull up a list of homes with your criteria and make appointments to show you as many as you would like in a certain time frame. If they only want to show you 2 or 3 homes, you may want to talk to them and let them know you'd really like to see more. They should be more than willing to assist you.

4. Don't wait! If you find something you love and are not sure if you want to make an offer, please consider this:

You are probably not the only one looking at this home! 

Does it have everything you want? Does it have everything you need? Is it in your price range? Are you still thinking about it after you walk out the door and drive down the street?  If you answered yes to any of these, you need to make an offer. NOW. Especially it is a bank-owned home. Homes in foreclosure are selling left and right in Southern Utah (unless there is something crazy wrong with it), don't wait if it's what you're looking for. Remember, if you don't qualify and you can't afford it, you wouldn't be at that house looking!!!

5. Get all of your i's dotted and t's crossed ASAP. A good Realtor will make sure you set your dates well in advance and stay on top of your deadlines. But, a good rule of thumb is to give the appraisal about 4 weeks. This gives you time to get the home inspection (which I highly suggest - about $300 dollars or so) and any lender quirks taken care of. (Remember, foreclosed homes are "as is", but you can still order a home inspection so you know what you are getting yourself into)

6. Make sure you stay in contact with your Realtor and Lender as much and as often as you need to. They will keep you informed on everything that is going on.

Do not hesitate to call me and ask questions. It doesn't matter that you have previously asked. Just call. We would rather you ask then feel we are not paying attention to you. Our only concern is to make the transaction as smooth as possible for you and to help you achieve your end result.....a perfect purchase!

 For more information on the tax credit, visit the National Council of State Housing Agencies at NHSCA

Good luck to you all!

Sandy