Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Real Estate Buzz.....

Bank of America, the nation’s largest mortgage service company since acquiring Countrywide in 2008, announced that they will resume foreclosing on homes Wednesday, December 1st. This comes after the banking giant self-imposed a foreclosure moratorium in the wake of the “robo-signing” scandal that received wide spread media attention in 2009. While this news is undoubtedly another blow to beleaguered homeowners, it comes none too soon for investors looking to purchase post foreclosure properties. In the final quarter of 2010, investors have found slim pickings at Trustees’ Sale auctions across the country.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also made an announcement on November 24th that they will resume the auction sale of homes that have loans serviced by Bank of America, Chase, PNC Financial and others.

The last several years have seen several cessations and moratoriums on foreclosure proceedings that have caused the pool of available investment properties to dry up until the next wave of foreclosures begins. Many agents have struggled during these times to find suitable properties for their clients. My unique approach to securing homes for my investor/clients has insured that we at Share Builders Inc/The Force Realty have actually thrived during these past several years of market flux.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also made an announcement on November 24th that they will resume the auction sale of homes that have loans serviced by Bank of America, Chase, PNC Financial and others.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

10 Overvalued Global Real Estate Markets

10 overvalued global housing markets

I found a great article about the real estate market globally. Take a look by clicking the link below.....



U.S. market considered 'fairly valued'
BY INMAN NEWS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010


http://www.inman.com/news/2010/10/28/10-overvalued-global-housing-markets

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Short Sales vs Foreclosures

I have recently had a few people that I have been talking to about short sales over the past several months come to me with great urgency for help.

Both just had foreclosure (NOD) notices taped to their door, which signifies the start of the formal foreclosure process.
The foreclosure process takes about 121 days to complete before the bank can sell your house at the trustee sale.

A typical short sale can take 2-4 months from the start of processing, but that is under the most ideal circumstances and I am sure most of you have heard that things rarely go smooth during these transactions. That being said, it is not necessarily too late but it definitely does limit our choices and makes things tougher.

Banks have started to get stricter on foreclosure postponements during short sale processing so the longer you wait to start the short sale (if that is the best decision for you) the less chance of success we will have because we have little room for error (or losing a buyer, or changing negotiators, etc).

The main point of this email is to let you know that if you are considering your options on what to do with your home do not procrastinate!

Meet with the appropriate professionals (CPA, attorney, financial advisor, etc) and form a game plan sooner rather than later. It could mean the difference in a successful short sale with the best of outcomes (full release from the deficiency without contributions) to a foreclosure or possible bankruptcy (if sued by the bank). If you have any questions or want to meet for a confidential consultation about your options please email or call me.

They are always free. I am a very good source of real world information (aside from your uncle Joey in New York of course!).



Also, please forward this to anyone in your database that may appreciate the information!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Real Estate Buzz......

Real estate prices in our area continue to remain steady. After the tax credits for home buyers expired last May, there was concern that the market could tank. Yet, existing home sales have stabilized over the past year. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, reports that the housing market continues to recover on its own power without the homebuyer tax credit. The NAR reported in September that existing-home sales rose by 7.6% in August following a big correction in July.



I think people are beginning to hedge their bets. Prices haven’t been this good for a long time. Sellers are serious. The rate for a 30-year conventional fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low of 4.43 in August according to Freddie Mac. Note that the rate was 5.19 percent in August 2009.



So what is holding back more buyers? The main reason given is a lack of confidence in our national economy. Many believe that the November elections will create a new direction and confidence will grow. If that is so, then buying now will be seen as the smart move.



JUST ASK

Q: What is a CMA?

A: A Comparative Market Analysis, or CMA, is an in-depth analysis of the home’s worth in today’s market. If you are thinking about selling your home, then we need to determine the fair market value first. There are online sites as well as newspaper listings that will give valuations. But each house is different and most sales are not posted publicly for months. It takes an expert who has walked through the recent homes for sale, knows the streets of the neighborhood, and knows the trends of real estate transactions to best assess which properties to compare to yours in order to create a realistic CMA.



MY TOWN

Any parent knows the value of good schools for their children. But the value of good schools doesn’t only affect children and their families, it also impacts neighborhoods and the property values of your home. Even if you don’t have school-age children, knowing the ratings of schools in your current home or prospective new homes will affect your pocketbook in the long run.



The Internet offers some free resources to find school ratings. Check out www.greatschools.org for comprehensive school data nationwide. Peruse the website to find the top schools in small, medium, or large US cities (click Find a School tab, then Choose the Right School, then Moving with Kids). Or search for a specific city to review the Academic Performance Index results.



FYI

With a large amount of bank-owned properties on the market, it's a great time for homebuyers looking for good deals. But bidding on bank-owned homes also means the homebuyer has to compete with investors bringing cash offers.



Fannie Mae's got a new program for their Real Estate Owned (REO) properties. For homeowners, this is a way to buy properties that have reduced prices BEFORE investors can buy them. After the property hits the market, you've got fifteen days to look at the property.



Qualified homebuyers must be owner-occupants and can receive up to 3.5% of the final sales price, which can be used toward closing cost assistance including a home warranty, if desired and available. Eligible offers must be submitted on or after Sept. 23, 2010, and must close by Dec. 31, 2010. The sale must close within 60 days of the offer being accepted.



Let me know if you are interested in this program. It is being offered through real estate professionals to give their clients the heads-up. Properties available under this program can be viewed on the REO Web site www.HomePath.com.

Monday, September 27, 2010

10 Reasons Why It is A Good Time to Buy a Home NOW!!

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010, 7:13 A.M. ET
By Brett Arends
ENOUGH WITH THE DOOM AND GLOOM ABOUT HOMEOWNERSHIP! Brett Arends explains why owning a home is a good thing.

So here are 10 reasons why it's good to buy a home.

1. You can get a good deal. Especially if you play hardball. This is a buyer's market. Most of the other buyers have now vanished, as the tax credits on purchases have just expired. We're four to five years into the biggest housing bust in modern history. And prices have come down a long way– about 30% from their peak, according to Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Index, which tracks home prices in 20 big cities. Will prices fall further? Sure, they could. You'll never catch the bottom. It doesn't really matter so much in the long haul.

2. Mortgages are cheap. These are the lowest rates on record. As recently as two years ago they were about 6.3%. If inflation picks up, you won't see these mortgage rates again in your lifetime. And if we get deflation, and rates fall further, you can refinance.

3. You'll save on taxes. You can deduct the mortgage interest from your income taxes. You can deduct your real estate taxes. And you'll get a tax break on capital gains–if any–when you sell. Sure, you'll need to do your math. You'll only get the income tax break if you itemize your deductions, and many people may be better off taking the standard deduction instead. The breaks are more valuable the more you earn, and the bigger your mortgage. But many people will find that these tax breaks mean owning costs them less, often a lot less, than renting.

4. It'll be yours. You can have the kitchen and bathrooms you want. You can move the walls, build an extension–zoning permitted–or paint everything bright orange. Few landlords are so indulgent; for renters, these types of changes are often impossible. You'll feel better about your own place if you own it than if you rent.

5. You'll get a better home. In many parts of the country it can be really hard to find a good rental. All the best places are sold as condos. Money talks. Once again, this is a case by case issue: In Miami right now there are so many vacant luxury condos that owners will rent them out for a fraction of the cost of owning. But few places are so favored. Generally speaking, if you want the best home in the best neighborhood, you're better off buying.

6. It offers some inflation protection. No, it's not perfect. But studies by Professor Karl "Chip" Case (of Case-Shiller), and others, suggest that over the long-term housing has tended to beat inflation by a couple of percentage points a year. That's valuable inflation insurance, especially if you're young and raising a family and thinking about the next 30 or 40 years. In the recent past, inflation-protected government bonds, or TIPS, offered an easier form of inflation insurance. But yields there have plummeted of late. That also makes homeownership look a little better by contrast.

7. It's risk capital. No, your home isn't the stock market and you shouldn't view it as the way to get rich. But if the economy does surprise us all and start booming, sooner or later real estate prices will head up again, too. One lesson from the last few years is that stocks are incredibly hard for most normal people to own in large quantities–for practical as well as psychological reasons. Equity in a home is another way of linking part of your portfolio to the long-term growth of the economy–if it happens–and still managing to sleep at night.

8. It's forced savings. If you can rent an apartment for $2,000 month instead of buying one for $2,400 a month, renting may make sense. But will you save that $400 for your future? A lot of people won't. Most, I dare say. Once again, you have to do your math, but the part of your mortgage payment that goes to principal repayment isn't a cost. You're just paying yourself by building equity. As a forced monthly saving, it's a good discipline.

9. There is a lot to choose from. There is a glut of homes in most of the country. The National Association of Realtors puts the current inventory at around 4 million homes. That's below last year's peak, but well above typical levels, and enough for about a year's worth of sales. More keeping coming onto the market, too, as the banks slowly unload their inventory of unsold properties. That means great choice, as well as great prices.

10. Sooner or later, the market will clear. Demand and supply will meet. The population is forecast to grow by more than 100 million people over the next 40 years. That means maybe 40 million new households looking for homes. Meanwhile, this housing glut will work itself out.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

73% of all homes in Clark County are down at leat 50%. And rents have held up well because the homeowners that are short-selling or vacating homes due to foreclosure must begin renting.

Choose the property wisely and you can get steady income and a good chance of solid appreciation over the next ten years. Seek out places that were growing before the recession and have something compelling to offer that will drive future growth. If you need a mortgage, make sure your monthly income will be enough to cover you loan payments plus a 20% cushion to cover repairs, vacancies and property management.

Real Estate is the only investment that gives you: Cash Flow. Appreciation, Depreciation and Equity Build Up.

Call for more information (702) 236-6266 or www.sharebuildersinc.com

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Real Estate Market is HOT

Although the news may sound like the world is coming to end. The real estate market and the individuals who are in the "know" are CASHING IN!! This is the best time to purchase whether a owner/occupant or as a real estate investor. If you are wanting to get into the market as an investor here are a few rules to live by:


RULES TO INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE

1. Have a business plan….. Why real estate? What do you want to accomplish investing in real estate?

2. Have a criteria and stick to it.

3. Do your research on the properties.

4. Always put your investment property in an LLC. Get legal advice.

5. Have a good CPA and Attorney

6. Always have CASH FLOW. Without the cash you will not be able to make it work.

7. Do not purchase investment property with large yards or swimming pools. Costly to maintain.

8. Never rent to FAMILY or FRIENDS. This is a business not a charity.

9. If you are purchasing property with a loan, ALWAYS get a fixed interest rate and on a 15, 20 or 30 year loan program.

10. ROI (return on investment) less than 60 months. This will depend on your own criteria and properties Performa

Visit my website www.sharebuildersinc.com or call (702) 236-6266