Hey all, I thought I would pass along this info in case you haven’t heard it already. This is a change that is going to affect all FHA transactions. “To build capital and reduce risk, the FHA announced that it will raise insurance rates and tighten credit score rules. The major changes include increasing upfront [...]
Archive | March, 2010
RETSO Recap
Yesterday, REtechSouth released pictures taken from the 2010 REtechSouth Convention held last week in Atlanta. I, unfortunately, was still back here in Cincinnati, and these pictures only remind me of all the fun I missed. For those who were there – fill me in on the fun and tell me some of the stories you [...]
Rancho Santa Margarita Homes and Condos report.
This is a statistical report for Active for Sale and Sold homes and condos in Rancho Santa Margarita . This report is brought to you by the professional realtors at eVantage Real Estate in Orange County, CA. Today, there are 104 detached single family homes for sale, with a median price of $614,990 and an [...]
Guidelines for 2010 Tax Credit for New Home and First Time Home Buyer Released
California’s first time home buyer and new home tax credit for 2010 guidelines are now posted on the Franchise Tax Board’s website. This is an update to last week’s post on the California tax credit extension. I will concentrate on answering several questions that have been raised and provide a few popular scenarios that many [...]
Tips for hiring a contractor
One of the best ways to select a contractor is to ask friends or relatives for recommendations. Make sure they have worker’s compensation insurance and general liability insurance in case of accidents on the job. Building codes set minimum safety standards for construction. Generally, a building permit is required whenever structural work is involved. The [...]
iPadding Your Wallet?
Saturday will be known as Holy Saturday for some of us, and I’m not referring to Easter Weekend. This Saturday, the iPad will finally go on sale, and Apple fanatics the country over will be hammering for the holy grail of computing. But as a real estate professional, should you be in line, too? Many [...]
Last Minute Tax Credit Tips
The 2010 homebuyer tax credit is worth 10% of the home’s sale price: up to $8,000 for buyers who haven’t owned a home in the previous 3 years and up to $6,500 for buyers who have owned and occupied a principal residence for at least 5 consecutive years during the 8 year period that ends [...]
“Terra Nullius” Explained
“Terra Nullius” Explained By Brian Madigan LL.B. (ORES) The latin term “terra nullius” means “land owned by no one”, or “no man’s land”. It has a rich and varied history, and has now settled into the international law of the sea and the law of outer space. Vast parts of the globe were largely unknown [...]
North Atlanta TOP 10 Townhomes And Condo’s-Some Of The Very Best In Town!!!
Wanted to do a little research to see what the Townhomes and Condo / High Rise inventory looked like in Atlanta and North Atlanta GA. I began with price to see what were the most expensive at this time in the local GA MLS. Here We Go: Atlanta Condos And Townhomes Over 1 Million Complex: [...]
Santa Clara Mortgage Rates & Economy Update
Mortgage Rates update for Santa Clara County. The week that was: A bad one for the rate markets. Mortgage rates increased 12 basis points while the 10 yr note jumped 16 basis points. The chart below would tell you how volatile the mortgage rates were on Thursday and Friday. After weeks of being contained in [...]
Coto De Caza Short Sale Report | Orange County Experts
Coto de Caza Short Sale Realtor This residential real estate study is generated by the specialists at the ShortSalesASAP group, who are experts in short sale negotiations, marketing and sales for property owners in Coto De Caza and elsewhere in Orange County. The two tables below show statistics for properties Active for Sale, Pending in [...]
Federal Incentives Make it Easier to Upgrade Homes
As part of the beloved stimulus bill, a pool of $300 million was made available to states to provide rebates for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances and home systems, of which Texas’ share is $23 million. The purchases must be replacing an old appliance, and there is a limit of two rebates per household. Also, you must reserve a rebate before making the appliance purchase.
An Expensive Unprofessional Advertisement
Agent’s Unprofessional Advertisement By Brian Madigan LL.B. The agent ran an ad that cost $8,000.00! That’s a lot of money for a local ad running in a Periodical. Well, that was the Fine not really the cost of the ad. So, what was so bad about the ad that it warranted an $8,000.00 fine? Actually, [...]
Erin Mills ~ Planning the Road System
Erin Mills ~ Planning the Road System By Brian Madigan LL.B. (ORES) Erin Mills is the largest community within the city of Mississauga, Ontario. It provides home to over 100,000 residents. It started out in the 1960’s as Canada’s largest planned community. Don Mills was first, and then its developers took on Erin Mills as [...]
Buying a “Flipped” Property in Orange County with an FHA Loan
Using FHA financing to buy an Orange County home that has recently been “flipped” has not been easy. HUD has for a long time not allowed FHA financing on properties that have been purchased less than 90 days before prior to a new purchase contract. But now it is getting easier. HUD Waived the No Flipping Rule on [...]
McNeil Manor Home successfully sold
I just moved into McNeil Manor when my neighbor approached me about listing his home. After looking at all of the other listed homes in the neighborhood, I told him to list the property at $250,000. There was a larger home that just recently sold in October for $250,000, and since we are in a [...]
Government starts to reduce mortgage balances and changes rule to HAMP
The following is the text of details provided by the Obama administration Friday of its plans to enhance the Home Affordable Modification Program in order to provide more help to homeowners: 1. Temporary Assistance for Unemployed Homeowners While They Search for Re-Employment – Mortgage payments reduced to an affordable level for a minimum of 3 [...]
Friday Farewell – “CSA In The USA”
Earlier this month, my girlfriend and I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and this past weekend, we had a tour of the facilities. For a few hours a month of volunteer time and a few bucks a week, we’ll be able to enjoy fresh, locally grown food every week until next fall. My taste [...]
Apps In The Cradle
DotLoop‘s Chief Technology Officer, Matt Vorst, handed me his copy of Fast Company this morning and thought I might be interested in the cover article about the smart phone revolution. The article discusses how kids are becoming more and more in-tuned with technology and starts by detailing the smart phone habits of Eliana and Gemma [...]
HAMP and a Mortgage Modification Trap!
Usually one of the first three questions a homeowner that has fallen behind on their mortgage asks, “What are my options?” As real estate professionals, we typically provide the information; Refinance, Reinstatement, Forbearance, Modification, Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure, Foreclosure and Short Sale. Then we explain which options are viable under the circumstances. Such as if the homeowner [...]
-
Carmen Brodeur: Very interesting! I better go buy more wrinkle cre...
-
Ria Grace: What is good of having custom home is that you can...
-
Patrick: A great online property management forum is agents...
-
Kyle Pearce: Unfortunately, in every industry, there are some w...
-
-
$10000 California First Time Home Buyer and New Home Tax Credit Extended
-
Unite Against the Sarasota MLS Board
-
Short Sale Heaven Coming April 5th 2010
-
The Lones Group – Real Estate Social Media Marketing Firm – Sues Agent For Being A Zebra
-
California Senate Bill 94 (SB94): Passes; Not even Attorneys can do it!
 |
Enter your email address below to stay informed about real estate: |
We are not the FHA, VA, USDA, HUD or any other government organization. The content on this blog is intended for information purposes only.