Always get a home inspection; without exception. “As-Is” does not mean, “No Inspection Allowed.” Insist on one, and the “Why” is answered in better detail in this article. If you need contact info for any excellent inspectors, your real estate pro should be able to produce that within minutes.
Don’t get caught not knowing:
1. –Sellers pay the real estate fees as a general rule, so as a buyer, don’t be afraid to utilize an agent because of concerns about paying commissions. –Adds to the already lucrative phrase, “Buyer’s market” doesn’t it?
2. “I’ll just use the agent that’s on the sign…” –That’s fine, but wouldn’t you rather be represented by someone who is representing just you when you are buying something as large an investment as a house? Dollars to doughnuts you know someone, know someone who knows someone, or are even related to someone who could be your agent, and not necessarily a total stranger who is also representing the seller.
3. “I don’t have to worry about talking to a mortgage-loan person right now.” Have you been sleeping the last few months? Heard of the “mortgage meltdown?” Preparation has to include collaboration with her/him on what your exact requirements are to get the loan when you find what you’re looking for. The requirements seem to change weekly, so it’s critical to find someone sharp; if you don’t know a mortgage person, make it someone your real estate broker considers an expert in mortgage finance. You also need to query this person with every question you can come up with so that you can plan ahead financially. If you are selling a house in order to buy one, now is a great time to figure out whether or not there was a prepayment penalty on your old mortgage loan, and ask the same question about your future mortgage loan. Get prepared, and you won’t miss out on some of the best deals in home-buying seen for generations.
4. “No need to worry about resale.” NOT. The average buyer stays in their home for 4 years. –Just 4 years! True, you shouldn’t “worry,” but you should concern yourself with resale around every corner, during every showing–or better yet, choose an astute broker, and let her be concerned about the resale value of the house you’re becoming enamored with, before and during your purchase.
…not sure what that means? Perfect opportunity to learn about it: Whenever you subscribe to a blog, you easily view updated information (a.k.a. “content”) from the blog, because it automatically comes to you–you never have to “go and find it” once you SUBSCRIBE. So look for the feedburner icon above, click on it, then, “Subscribe to this feed.”
Become one of the first 100 subscribers to the TuscanSpud.com by April 15…help “DRIVE” the info on the SpudInformationHighway! [Hint: use the comment box to write with questions and additional info...] AND, ONE OF THE FIRST 100 SUBSCRIBERS WILL BE CHOSEN TO FILL A FREE AD SPACE ON THE SPUD FOR THE REMAINDER OF APRIL (i.e. “after taxes”) IN APPRECIATION FOR YOUR POSITIVE ENERGY!
Speakers turned up?
–This one is a home built and decorated by some wonderful folks originally from Montana, and is called, “MontanAspenRiver” because they’ve brought the flavor of Montana ”home” to SW Idaho.
If your agent isn’t using this tool to showcase your home this Spring, give me a call. In addition, if you’ve recognized the gorgeous, detailed hardwood flooring, and impeccable decorating and redesign skills in the video and wish to take advantage of these talents as well, call or write for more info.
1. BUYERS ARE STILL COMING HERE TO BUY. Yes, that’s right, the SW Idaho Area is still the out-of-stater’s dream area to settle in. Not only that, but buyers looking for investment properties, a.k.a. “investors” are coming here, or are already here with their checkbooks. Flush the media spin out of your brain–it just doesn’t match the picture in the hot Boise area.
2. Spring is springing! The subdivisions are already loaded with slow-moving vehicle-voyeurs, and the real estate keys are turning click-click-click on available inventory.
3. Concern about inability to sell is hogwash; have a highly qualified agent who knows the SW Idaho market area price it right, and it will be gone! Great marketing, highly detailed information, and awesome positive energy levels from collaborative seller-agent teams are where it’s at.
4. Interest rates are awesome. Duh. There are multitudes of those same folks in reason #1 who have fabulous credit, and can take advantage of their buying power right now, and for who knows how long?
5. You can choose from a plethora of “Real Estate Agent Survivors:” agents and brokers who have “survived” the avalanche of bad news and have stayed on the cutting edge of what works in SW Idaho to sell and buy real estate, are generally highly qualified and experienced. We can take the opportunity to help turn your listing into a stunningly detailed masterpiece that stands out amongst the “average.” There’s time for great Video–instead of those choppy fish-eye photo tours, innovative internet advertising, verses the newspaper, and some professional staging, where “vacant, use lockbox” was the norm. Stop stressing, stop wondering, and stop watching the news…it’s depressing. That’s the virtual world, and not the TuscanSpudWorld that we know in the deep-down-left corner of Idaho. This market is hopping–just ask your real estate pro to take you shopping for some comparisons and ideas. Better yet, get that free CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) on your house to get it sold a.s.a.p. for top-dollar.
Check out this article from the Better Business Bureau. Please keep in mind that there are some of us out here you can trust and who’ve seen many of these scenarios in action. Just find out who to count on a.s.a.p. if you’re in this situation, and quiz her/him about experience and education in real estate and mortgage fraud.
Concise list of links for help protecting against foreclosure can be found at: ProtectingIdahoHomes.com, and includes concepts such as predatory lending, non/traditional mortgages, Federal Agencies that can help, refinancing, and education.
Behind on payments? Going to be? Actually received a notice of default? Lender can’t “find” your loan because it was sold off?
Please don’t wait until the last week before the auction; you need a broker who can negotiate with your bank to help set a price that makes sense, so that it will SELL. Some agents don’t want to mess with it, some are very good at it, and some don’t have a clue what I’m referring to. If you are in SW Idaho, I’d like to hear from you as soon as possible. If you’re not in SW Idaho, call me anyway, and I would be happy to refer you to someone who knows what they’re doing and/or consult with you about who to get good advice from.
Time is of the essence, and I’ve seen a couple of them go back to the bank before I could even pick up the phone to the lender; not a pretty sight. Let’s get your house listed right and sold, so that you and your family can get on with the business of quality living…
Project Lifeline was introduced Tuesday to give homeowner/borrowers who are approaching a foreclosure, a breather of sorts, so that they can “work out” the business of keeping their homes. Ironic that a few weeks ago, it was the “Mortgage Meltdown,” and here we are a short time later with, the “Foreclosure Crisis,” and our very own “Foreclosure Freeze” by the government.
[If you have received a Notice of Default, have missed some payments, or even are just having a real struggle making your payments, please read this article carefully.] Most in this situation, even with yesterday’s “breather,” will still do nothing or believe there’s still plenty of time for this personal crisis to work itself out. Often this is simply because we don’t know what we don’t know, and if we don’t know what to ask…well, you get the picture, right?
If nothing else, please consult with someone you trust, (and I must tell you that I notice many in the real estate licensee community, i.e., real estate agents/brokers are getting smart on the foreclosure crisis really fast, so you might try one of us) so that you do not waste precious days that you have to possibly save your home, get out of foreclosure, or both. What I notice more than not in my increasingly frequent meetings and “mini-seminars” with homeowners who are struggling in the foreclosure information quick-sand (often labeled “help”), is the notion that lenders DESIRE to foreclose on and “take back” properties. Not so.
Another concept that you can start driving over like a speed-bump in a rental-car, is the notion that there is nothing you can really do to stop it (the foreclosure). Also, not so. Many homeowners who could be negotiating with the bank while concurrently placing their homes on the market, are completely unaware that they might need to consider this, and are just as unaware as to “how-to” work through this whole process.
The “learning-burden” is certainly not just on homeowners in distress; it is on all of us, and one underutilized group that e should really tap in to is Realtors®, for the fundamentals of foreclosures in a given state. Just by the nature of our licensing and continuing education requirements, specific to each state, even moderately experienced agents should be able to help in a big way. In fact, let’s get the Spud-ball rollin’ right now: fellow real estate licensees, I urge you to start posting/webinarring/chatting/teaching the REAL basics, and let folks know the shocking truth; there are truly helpful steps to take to work oneself out of a foreclosure, and some of these long-held paradigms just need to die. Instead of an “anti-foreclosure” program, how about a PRO-Absorption program on the part of, particularly, real estate licensees across the country?
Anyone need professional photos taken? Hot new photographer on the scene is
Sara Byrne
contact her at sarab2233@yahoo.com / 208-890-3774
and check her out at http://networthleaders.com/SarahByrne.aspx
As of this post and since January 1, 2008, 27 Eagle homes have closed, and of them 13 were < $350K pricetag. Also in Eagle, there are currently 484 active listings, and of those, 352 of them are asking over $350,000 (73%)!
Out of 289 active listings in Star, roughly half are under $350,000, with 12 closings in 2008 thus far.
NW Boise area had 37 closings this year so far; 30 of them listed at less than $350K asking price. You’ll find 332 currently active to choose from if you are shopping in this area, with 193 of them listed below $350,000.
–Just some up to the minute stats locally directly from our most reliable source…via the TuscanSpud.com and our local Multi-Listing Service. Any additional info you might desire can be had by contacting me directly. Check out “Information Free Radicals“–a video from Center for Realtor Technology weblog (view CC license) that explains the stale/erroneous information phenomena that exists with real estate info that isn’t from Realtors. Remember to hit up a great real estate professional for the REAL info in REAL time!
–particularly Greta Doyle, owner of Eagle Coffee Roasting, for her spark and sunshine–what a great business networking gathering today at NetWorthLeaders.com (check it out, you’ve heard of leads groups? This one’s phenomenal) where we get to enjoy some of Greta’s great coffee beans, a nice chat about growing our collective businesses using teamwork, and exchanging creative marketing ideas…
Collaboration is so cool! 
Please check out Eagle Coffee Roasting for smooth roasts; they have a shopping cart on their website! Great taste goes global Spudz!
|
