9 Months ‘Til Due

Time is ticking and this real estate “baby” is due.  What “baby” could that possibly be? In 9 months the Mortgage Debt Relief Act will expire on, December 31, 2013, for homeowners that owe more on their home than what it is currently worth.

Just like a pregnancy requires a great doctor, so do underwater homeowners require a great real estate broker. The top five states that experienced mortgage fraud in Q4 of 2012 were: 1. Nevada 2. Arizona 3. Florida 4. New Jersey 5. California; all 50 states experienced some type of mortgage fraud. No homeowner should have to go through such thing.

While there is much talk about a recovering real estate market, there are still homeowners that lost too much equity on their property the past 5 years to be helped by today’s current market.

Most homeowners think they have plenty of time to take advantage of this Mortgage Relief Act because 9 months seems far away, but in reality time is very short. Here are top 5 reasons why underwater homeowners do not take action:

1.  Too embarrassed.

2. Do not know a qualified broker.

3. Fear of the unknown.

4. Heard bad advice from unqualified people.

5. Are in denial of their problem.

If you are a homeowner who owes more on your home, and do not know what to do, then do not allow any reason stop you from getting the help you deserve. A homeowner who does not take action today will suffer unnecessary future consequences. Most foreclosures that occurred in 2012 could have possibly been avoided if the homeowner sought help by a qualified real estate broker.

The truth about today’s real estate market is that recovery is taking place, and yes there is a shortage of available homes for sale, but for underwater homeowners who experienced 50%70% loss in equity, not even a 10% appreciation in 2013 can save them from the past economic downturn.

My recommendations are the following, get in touch with a qualified real estate broker right now, get the answers you know you need, and then decide what is best for your family. Don’t allow fear to hold you back from getting rid of this nagging debt. Lastly, take advantage of the potential bank incentives that are being offered to homeowners that range from$3,000-$20,0000. Most importantly, start right now.

 Download this month’s FREE report about, Mortgage Fraud Alert, at http://www.NissiAgents.com. You may always call our FREE 24-hour voice-recorded line at, 1.866.476.1677 Ext. 455 to set up a FREE consultation or with any questions you may have about today’s market. You may connect with me personally through social media at: www.JoinDNA.com. If this article helped you in any way, please share it with a family member, friend, or neighbor that may also benefit from this. The more you give, the more that comes back to you

School Is Almost Out…Are You Ready For The Move?

Don’t be scared, school will be out for the kids sometime in late May to mid-June for most of you reading this. However, those days will arrive before you least expect it. If you will be moving before or around summertime, then now is the time to plan, especially due to the housing shortage we are experiencing, which I shared in my previous article.

With over 8 years of personally listing and selling properties, I continuously look for ways to improve the experience for the people we help in today’s market. Here are some great tips I share with families that need to relocate, upgrade, or downsize before school is out and summer starts.

As the saying goes, “Begin with the end in mind, then start at step one.”

First, identify the financial scenario you will most likely be in once you sell your current property. For example, once you sell your current property will your next home be bought cash, with conventional financing, or will you temporarily rent. This knowledge helps you gain a better understanding of what is up ahead. As well as see any evident challenges that will present themselves to the type of financing you will need for your next purchase and overall moving scenario.

Second, now that you have a better understanding of your projected financial scope, you can then decide your buying options and what areas you will focus on for your next home purchase. Lets say a family has been pre-approved for $450k loan, but based on their family decision they decide to look at homes between $350k-400k because they are downsizing, now they can focus on homes of that price range and see what is available in today’s housing inventory.

Third, which I actually recommend to be done first if possible, share your moving intentions with the entire family. Not every family member can handle sudden change as easy as you, so by preparing the family mentally, emotionally, and financially it will be less stressful for everyone, especially you. Plus, the synergy of the move will be healthy and seen as beneficial instead of negative. Depending on the distance of the move, kids are thinking of the friends they may lose and the new school they are going to, and need time to process all of this. Be aware of this, and be sensitive to their needs.

There are many details involved in the process of listing and selling a property. These basic three steps will get you going in the right direction. If you would like to do a FREE consultation over the phone on any of these three steps, we are available to help you.

As always, we provide FREE reports and information about today’s market at http://www.NissiAgents.com. You may always call our FREE 24-hour voice-recorded line at, 1.866.476.1677 Ext. 355 to set up a FREE consultation or with any questions you may have about today’s market. You may connect with me personally through social media at: http://www.JoinDNA.com. If this article helped you in any way, please share it with a family member, friend, or neighbor that may also benefit from this. The more you give, the more that comes back to you.

Housing Shortage. Is It True?

For the past forty years an average of about 1.5 million new homes have been built nationally, and through years 2008-2011 an average of +/- 640k homes were built per year, according to Charfen Institute. That is about 3.44 million homes that were not built in the period of about 3 years. The years of recession caused a major slowdown in new residential construction, but little did we know that this major slowdown would have such an impact in the days ahead.

Here in Southern California, there is tons of optimism because the real estate market is “hot” and homes are selling fast; buyers are left to struggle getting an offer accepted. So what is really going on in our backyard of Southern California? For starters, there are less new homes and resale homes available to purchase. If you’ve been out shopping for a new home, especially in the Inland Empire area, they are selling fast, and tracks are beginning to sell before even built.

The interesting fact is that what feels like a “hot” real estate market is still technically a recovering market for most of Southern Californians. For example, in San Bernardino, Riverside, & Los Angeles County combined, there is an estimated slightly over 90,000 defaulted homes and less than 7% of those home are listed on the market for sale and receiving the appropriate help. There is a number reasons for this stat, one of the main causes is because many distressed homeowners still fear their upside down situations and feel cornered and out of options. This is far from the truth. Distressed homeowners are not alone and have options, and help is available.

So what do all these numbers mean? Simple, for current homeowners (non-distressed) that have a need to sell, whether it is due to a job transfer, home upgrade, or downsizing, then this is a great window of opportunity for you to seize. If you are a buyer in today’s real estate market, then you must have your financing ready, and absolutely move fast when you find the perfect home match. Also, whether you are a home seller or home buyer you must work with a knowledgeable real estate agent that understands two vital components (out of the many) of today’s transaction; what the real estate market is doing and strong negotiating skills.

For distressed homeowners, this is your year to breakthrough and take action. Don’t allow the fear of the unknown control you. You have options, take action, and put an end to the unnecessary mortgage pain before the Mortgage Debt Relief Act expires in December.

As always, we provide FREE reports and information about today’s market at http://www.nissiagents.com. You may always call our FREE 24-hour voice-recorded line at, 1.866.476.1677 Ext. 455 with any questions you may have about today’s market. Feel free to connect with me personally at: www.joindna.com. If this article helped you in any way, please share it with a loved one. The more you give, the more that comes back to you.

You’re Fired!

Ever had to say that to your real estate broker? Not a pleasant conversation.

Most property owners, as well as real estate buyers, must remember that interviewing a broker is an important process that should not be avoided. Successful real estate teams always interview the people they may potentially work with. That is because four key components are talked about for winning in today’s market. These components are loyalty, motivation, expectations, and time-frames.

Loyalty, no one wants to work with a disloyal broker, much less entrust them with their real estate and goals. Same is true from a broker perspective, a good broker sees the person as a client, and a great broker sees the person as a partner. How do you know if your broker is loyal? Check their references, past partners (clients) will share with you their experience.

Motivation. Ever had a conversation with a person and felt tired afterwards? There is a good chance there was no motivation present. Unmotivated brokers will cost you money upfront and in the long run. Avoid them. Work with motivated brokers only, and don’t be shy, bring your motivation to the table too, brokers appreciate that.

Expectations. Unspoken expectations inevitably become unmet expectations. Why? Because it was never addressed from the start. Good brokers wait for you to voice your expectations, but great brokers, will ask you the tough and detailed questions. They do this because they know what is up ahead, and genuinely want to help you meet your expectations and address any unrealistic ones.

Time-frames. Whether a family is facing foreclosure; a job transfer awaits in another city; moving in before the kids start school; and so forth; all these examples have a dead-line. When time-frames are met, all is well, but when brokers and clients fail to communicate important dates, then unwanted scenarios occur. Your broker should take the time to know your important dates.

You do not need to interview tons of brokers. Interview one at time until a broker is a match for you in the aforementioned four areas. If there is no connection with that broker in those areas, then interview another broker until you find your match. Look at it as speed dating! You might find your broker on the first try or fourth one, the important thing is you work with someone that understands you, and can help you go from where you are to where you want to be.

As always, we provide FREE reports and information about today’s market at http://www.NissiAgents.com. You may always call our FREE 24-hour voice-recorded line at, 1.866.476.1677 Ext. 455 with any questions you may have about today’s market.  Feel free to connect with me personally through social media at: www.JoinDNA.com. If this article helped you in any way, please share it with a loved one. The more you give, the more that comes back to you.