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Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Home Decor
I was reading an article the other day with a lot of great ideas for decorating. Here were some of the websites they listed. I've not had a chance to check them out so let me know if you do!
Furnishcheap.com
Hotelsurplus.com
1stdibs.com
Dumpsterworld.com
Rentaldecorating.com
Elsewares.com
Tvshoppingsurplus.com
More @ cbs46.com
For fabrics: Discountfabrics.com
Fashionfabricsclub.com
Gstreetfabrics.com
Lewis-sheron-textile.com
From best bargains magazine by better homes and gardens
Furnishcheap.com
Hotelsurplus.com
1stdibs.com
Dumpsterworld.com
Rentaldecorating.com
Elsewares.com
Tvshoppingsurplus.com
More @ cbs46.com
For fabrics: Discountfabrics.com
Fashionfabricsclub.com
Gstreetfabrics.com
Lewis-sheron-textile.com
From best bargains magazine by better homes and gardens
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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Advertising
In an effort to create more exposure for my listings I've just registered with Point2Agent. This site submits your listings to many search engines as well as member Realtors. In addition it creates an agent website that seems to be a good site. You can take a look at it by clicking here: http://leighanneshepard.point2agent.com.
The list of sites includes: vast.com, edgio.com, TheHousingPages.com, VideoHomes.com, House.com, base.google.com, livedeal.com, cyberhomes.com, trulia.com, zillow.com, oodles.com, and many more!!
So far I'm impressed with this new tool! I'll let you know more about it later but I think it is going to be a wonderful tool to offer my sellers and buyers!
The list of sites includes: vast.com, edgio.com, TheHousingPages.com, VideoHomes.com, House.com, base.google.com, livedeal.com, cyberhomes.com, trulia.com, zillow.com, oodles.com, and many more!!
So far I'm impressed with this new tool! I'll let you know more about it later but I think it is going to be a wonderful tool to offer my sellers and buyers!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Note from Leigh Anne
Well, Christmas is almost here and it is 75 degrees outside! I'm loving this weather. If I could figure out a way to move my desk outside - that is where you would find me!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Investor Special
I have an investor special. This is a pre-foreclosure short sale that has been reduced to $159,900. The subdivision's average sale price is $194000 so this is a great opportunity to make some money! The price (as with all short sales) is subject to bank approval.
Please let me know if you have any interest!!
Leigh Anne
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Note from Leigh Anne
I hope you are enjoying my blog and my website. I've been working very hard on the site - even learning HTML! - so I have put a lot of work into everything that you see here. I've got most of my existing pages finished now I'm beginning to work on building content and submitting it to search engines. So at the moment I am learning about SEO (search engine optimization) and taking pictures for some of my coming features. I'm not revealing my works in progress so you will have to keep checking back to see what changes come about! If you have a suggestion on what you would like to see please leave me a comment!!
Staging your home...
One of the first questions I am asked as a Realtor when I talk with someone about selling their home is "Do I need to do anything to it?"
The answer is usually "Yes."
This link will take you to 10 tips on "staging" a your property. That means how to make it look its best to a buyer. When you put up that for sale sign you are "competing" for a buyer. Your competition consists of every home on the market in your price range so that means some are new construction, some are professionally decorated, some are spotlessly clean, some have pets, some have kids, etc. (You get the idea - there are a lot of differences out there.) So you have to make yours stand out above ALL of these if you want to attract a buyer. Staging can help you do this faster.
Hope you enjoy the article!
LAS
The answer is usually "Yes."
This link will take you to 10 tips on "staging" a your property. That means how to make it look its best to a buyer. When you put up that for sale sign you are "competing" for a buyer. Your competition consists of every home on the market in your price range so that means some are new construction, some are professionally decorated, some are spotlessly clean, some have pets, some have kids, etc. (You get the idea - there are a lot of differences out there.) So you have to make yours stand out above ALL of these if you want to attract a buyer. Staging can help you do this faster.
Hope you enjoy the article!
LAS
Friday, November 30, 2007
The Wonder of Having Sons
I (like most everyone out there) have tons of forwards come through my inbox every year and this is one of my favorite ones!! My son isn't old enough to do these things yet but I know they are coming all to soon for two reasons - I have a husband AND a father who would have done all these (if they had had ceiling fans and water beds :-) I've posted it here for you all to enjoy!
THE WONDER OF HAVING SONS for those of you who do, and those smart enough not to
For those of you who were fortunate to have daughters ONLY, be glad.... be very, very glad....And you also find out very interesting things when you have sons, like ....
1.) A king size wat er-bed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 10cm deep.
2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3.) A 3-year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 15kg Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 5m x 5m room.
5.) You should not throw cricket balls up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a cricket ball a long way.
6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a cricket ball hit by a ceiling fan.
7.) When you he ar the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.
8.) Brake fluid mixed with white king makes smoke, and lots of it.
9.) A 6-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.
10.) Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.
11.) 'Play Dough' and 'microwave' should not be used in the same sentence
12.) Super Glue is forever.
13.) No matter how much Jelly you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
14.) Pool filters do not like Jelly.
15.) VCR's do not eject Peanut Butter & Jam sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odour is.
19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20.) The fire department in East Melbourne has a 3-minute response time.
21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy
22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24.) 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the WhiteKing and brake fluid.
THE WONDER OF HAVING SONS for those of you who do, and those smart enough not to
For those of you who were fortunate to have daughters ONLY, be glad.... be very, very glad....And you also find out very interesting things when you have sons, like ....
1.) A king size wat er-bed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 10cm deep.
2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3.) A 3-year old boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 15kg Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 5m x 5m room.
5.) You should not throw cricket balls up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a cricket ball a long way.
6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a cricket ball hit by a ceiling fan.
7.) When you he ar the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.
8.) Brake fluid mixed with white king makes smoke, and lots of it.
9.) A 6-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.
10.) Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.
11.) 'Play Dough' and 'microwave' should not be used in the same sentence
12.) Super Glue is forever.
13.) No matter how much Jelly you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
14.) Pool filters do not like Jelly.
15.) VCR's do not eject Peanut Butter & Jam sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odour is.
19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20.) The fire department in East Melbourne has a 3-minute response time.
21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy
22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24.) 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the WhiteKing and brake fluid.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Update from Leigh Anne
I've finally decided this is the blog to keep. It seems that I have flexibility with this one to add rss feeds, pictures, even write in html if I need to do something more than just type. (I think I'll try animation next :-) So keep checking back!
My goal for this website is for it to become a place for my friends, family and clients to all come visit. I figure if I am putting a lot of time into this one thing that I want it to encompass all aspects of my life, not just one or two. Besides, if I have family things on here it will give my clients a chance to know me better. And will serve as a reminder for to of my family that I'm in the real estate business and always am looking for referrals!
My website is finished now - or at least it down to just adding content. I've figured out how to make it do most everything that I wanted it to do like adding the plugoo square and the podcasts. I'm very proud of what I have learned so far but I know there is still FAR more out there and with the rate of development I'm sure I'll never catch up :-)
My goal for this website is for it to become a place for my friends, family and clients to all come visit. I figure if I am putting a lot of time into this one thing that I want it to encompass all aspects of my life, not just one or two. Besides, if I have family things on here it will give my clients a chance to know me better. And will serve as a reminder for to of my family that I'm in the real estate business and always am looking for referrals!
My website is finished now - or at least it down to just adding content. I've figured out how to make it do most everything that I wanted it to do like adding the plugoo square and the podcasts. I'm very proud of what I have learned so far but I know there is still FAR more out there and with the rate of development I'm sure I'll never catch up :-)
Things You Learn From A 2 Year Old
You know they say you never stop learning. Well, I learned something new the other day. It isn't something life altering, in fact, it is probably something that I could have figured out if I had thought about it...soap sticks to walls!
How did I come to learn this? From a 2 year old! I was in the bathroom cleaning and I looked out in the hall and saw something on the wall. It was about hip high, round and off white. I knew immediately what it was but I had to look at my son and ask him anyway. "What" I said "is on the wall?" "Soap" he said with a big grin. Then he proceeded to remove it and show me again how he could swirl it around on the wall until it would stay. A short time later to his disappointment he figured out that it wouldn't stay very long and that was the end of my soap wall decor.
Life with a 2 year old is filled with these revelations, both for him and for myself. Time passes so quickly and one day I'm sure he will roll his eyes at me for finding these simple little things so endearing.
Originally Published Nov 15, 2007
How did I come to learn this? From a 2 year old! I was in the bathroom cleaning and I looked out in the hall and saw something on the wall. It was about hip high, round and off white. I knew immediately what it was but I had to look at my son and ask him anyway. "What" I said "is on the wall?" "Soap" he said with a big grin. Then he proceeded to remove it and show me again how he could swirl it around on the wall until it would stay. A short time later to his disappointment he figured out that it wouldn't stay very long and that was the end of my soap wall decor.
Life with a 2 year old is filled with these revelations, both for him and for myself. Time passes so quickly and one day I'm sure he will roll his eyes at me for finding these simple little things so endearing.
Originally Published Nov 15, 2007
Short Sales
This was originally posted on another blog on Thursday, 15 November 2007
Short Sales
I have been working on several short sales lately. The are becoming very commonplace in today's real estate market. I searched the web for some information on Short Sales since I am frequently asked "what is a short sale" and "how does a short sale work?"
This information was found at http://sacramentoshortsales.com/index.php.
What is a Short Sale?
A Short Sale is the sale of a home when sales proceeds do not fully pay off the existing loan(s) and lender(s) accepts a discounted payoff to fully satisfy the loan.
The best part, the existing lender pays virtually all sales costs, including commissions, escrow and title fees and repair costs. You get your home sold, the loan(s) paid off and you avoid foreclosure.
Is a Short Sale right for me?
Mortgage lenders are increasingly willing to work with borrowers faced with a financial hardship to accept a discounted payoff on a mortgage. If you are faced with a hardship that makes it likely you will be unable to meet your obligation on your mortgage, your lender would prefer to settle the matter with you as opposed to taking the property through foreclosure.
As you consider the option of pursuing a Short Sale, remember your lender is looking to limit any potential loss on your loan. By completing a Short Sale, your lender has arrived at a solution that is, for them, much better than a foreclosure.
Bottom line, your lender wants to work with you.
What sort of hardship would my lender consider legitimate?
To some extent, that will depend upon the mortgage company considering the Short Sale request. Generally, so long as the hardship is real and the mortgage company believes the loan is likely to become delinquent as a result, the Short Sale request will be processed by the Loss Mitigation Department. A big key to getting Loss Mitigation to accept a hardship is to submit a strong hardship letter. The hardship letter sets the tone for the entire file.
Below you will find a list of “hardships” that are common and frequently accepted by mortgage lenders.
Family illness or injury
Illness or injury in the extended family – particularly if it forces relocation
Job relocation when the property is equity deficient
Job loss or significant income loss
Divorce or split of domestic partners
Adjustment in mortgage payment or unforeseen increase in living expenses
I am current on my mortgage, will my lender consider a Short Sale?
The answer is, maybe. Some lenders will accept a Short Sale file for approval on loans that are not delinquent. Other lenders will not accept the file until the loan is delinquent. We can put your Short Sale file together within a couple days and submit it for approval. (Remember, there is no charge for this). That is the best way to determine if your lender will accept a file for approval on a loan that is current.
Why would a mortgage company agree to accept a Short Sale?
There are actually several reasons why a mortgage company would approve a Short Sale payoff, including the following;
Legal Concerns – Mortgage lenders have come under legal pressure to work with borrowers to equitably resolve situations where borrowers are unable to meet their mortgage obligation, particularly when the borrower makes an effort to arrive at a compromise solution.
Wall Street is Watching – Mortgage lenders rely heavily on their ability to package and sell bundles of loans on the secondary mortgage market. They need to sell these bundles of loans in order to put the funds back to work by loaning the money again and collect loan fees along the way. If mortgages perform poorly after they are sold it could impact the lender's ability to sell their loans on the secondary market. A successful Short Sale gets the loan payoff resolved quickly.
Asset Management Expenses- If a lender acquires a property through foreclosure, the property will be managed until it is repaired and resold. It is expensive to manage real property assets - homes – spread throughout the region, the state and possibly even the nation. Keeping properties maintained, keeping utilities on, making repairs and the administrative costs attached to these activities are all costs the lender would prefer to avoid. A successful Short Sale eliminates most of these costs
Reserve Requirement- Delinquent and non-performing loans place another burden on mortgage lenders. For all delinquent and non-performing loans lenders must set aside funds in reserve to deal with potential losses. These funds cannot be put to work generating new loan fees until the bad loans are resolved. A successful Short Sale lets the lender put more money to work.
Do lenders approve all Short Sales?
In a word, no. That is why it is critical to work with someone that has extensive experience at getting Short Sales approved.
From the presentation of the Short Sale package to the lender to working with the lenders Loss Mitigation Department, we know how to keep the file moving towards approval.
I have two loans, can I still do a Short Sale?
Yes. We can work with both lenders (many times the same lender hold the 1st and the 2nd loans) to put together a Short Sale transaction. Even if the value of your home is below the balance of the 1st mortgage, we can normally get the two lenders to cooperate.
In the end, neither lender wants to own another home through foreclosure.
My property is in rough shape and needs work, can I still do a Short Sale?
Absolutely. In fact, lenders are more motivated to do a Short Sale on a property that needs work than on a property that doesn’t. The lender knows the risk of loss goes up when they foreclose on a property that needs lots of work.
Aside from expense of completing the work, lenders are simply not set up to get the work done. They are in the loan business, not the fix- it business.
I am concerned about my credit, how will a Short Sale affect my credit?
The big key here is to avoid foreclosure. By nearly any measure, a foreclosure is the most damaging event your credit status can encounter - worse than bankruptcy. In the course of getting your short sale approved you may miss your mortgage payments, and these will show on your credit.
By avoiding foreclosure, you will likely be able to resume normal borrowing (car loans, credit cards, consumer goods and such) relatively quickly
My income problem was temporary. Do I need to sell my home?
You may be able to keep your home. You need to convince your mortgage company of two things:
The problem that caused the mortgage payment disruption was beyond your control – illness, injury, temporary disability or forced job change are a few examples
You are now solidly in a position to stay current on your mortgage payments and make some progress towards making up the delinquent amount.
We can help. Get our Free Guide: Getting lender approval on a Forbearance or Loan Modification Agreement
What is a Forbearance Agreement?
A Forbearance Agreement is a written agreement with your mortgage company in which you arrange to keep your home. The agreement will normally include two primary elements:
The borrower’s promise to remain current on the mortgage going forward
Some plan for making up the delinquent interest and other charges. It may mean making additional payments to the mortgage company or the delinquent amount could be added to the loan to be paid later.
This information and more can be found at the following link:
http://sacramentoshortsales.com/index.php
Short Sales
I have been working on several short sales lately. The are becoming very commonplace in today's real estate market. I searched the web for some information on Short Sales since I am frequently asked "what is a short sale" and "how does a short sale work?"
This information was found at http://sacramentoshortsales.com/index.php.
What is a Short Sale?
A Short Sale is the sale of a home when sales proceeds do not fully pay off the existing loan(s) and lender(s) accepts a discounted payoff to fully satisfy the loan.
The best part, the existing lender pays virtually all sales costs, including commissions, escrow and title fees and repair costs. You get your home sold, the loan(s) paid off and you avoid foreclosure.
Is a Short Sale right for me?
Mortgage lenders are increasingly willing to work with borrowers faced with a financial hardship to accept a discounted payoff on a mortgage. If you are faced with a hardship that makes it likely you will be unable to meet your obligation on your mortgage, your lender would prefer to settle the matter with you as opposed to taking the property through foreclosure.
As you consider the option of pursuing a Short Sale, remember your lender is looking to limit any potential loss on your loan. By completing a Short Sale, your lender has arrived at a solution that is, for them, much better than a foreclosure.
Bottom line, your lender wants to work with you.
What sort of hardship would my lender consider legitimate?
To some extent, that will depend upon the mortgage company considering the Short Sale request. Generally, so long as the hardship is real and the mortgage company believes the loan is likely to become delinquent as a result, the Short Sale request will be processed by the Loss Mitigation Department. A big key to getting Loss Mitigation to accept a hardship is to submit a strong hardship letter. The hardship letter sets the tone for the entire file.
Below you will find a list of “hardships” that are common and frequently accepted by mortgage lenders.
Family illness or injury
Illness or injury in the extended family – particularly if it forces relocation
Job relocation when the property is equity deficient
Job loss or significant income loss
Divorce or split of domestic partners
Adjustment in mortgage payment or unforeseen increase in living expenses
I am current on my mortgage, will my lender consider a Short Sale?
The answer is, maybe. Some lenders will accept a Short Sale file for approval on loans that are not delinquent. Other lenders will not accept the file until the loan is delinquent. We can put your Short Sale file together within a couple days and submit it for approval. (Remember, there is no charge for this). That is the best way to determine if your lender will accept a file for approval on a loan that is current.
Why would a mortgage company agree to accept a Short Sale?
There are actually several reasons why a mortgage company would approve a Short Sale payoff, including the following;
Legal Concerns – Mortgage lenders have come under legal pressure to work with borrowers to equitably resolve situations where borrowers are unable to meet their mortgage obligation, particularly when the borrower makes an effort to arrive at a compromise solution.
Wall Street is Watching – Mortgage lenders rely heavily on their ability to package and sell bundles of loans on the secondary mortgage market. They need to sell these bundles of loans in order to put the funds back to work by loaning the money again and collect loan fees along the way. If mortgages perform poorly after they are sold it could impact the lender's ability to sell their loans on the secondary market. A successful Short Sale gets the loan payoff resolved quickly.
Asset Management Expenses- If a lender acquires a property through foreclosure, the property will be managed until it is repaired and resold. It is expensive to manage real property assets - homes – spread throughout the region, the state and possibly even the nation. Keeping properties maintained, keeping utilities on, making repairs and the administrative costs attached to these activities are all costs the lender would prefer to avoid. A successful Short Sale eliminates most of these costs
Reserve Requirement- Delinquent and non-performing loans place another burden on mortgage lenders. For all delinquent and non-performing loans lenders must set aside funds in reserve to deal with potential losses. These funds cannot be put to work generating new loan fees until the bad loans are resolved. A successful Short Sale lets the lender put more money to work.
Do lenders approve all Short Sales?
In a word, no. That is why it is critical to work with someone that has extensive experience at getting Short Sales approved.
From the presentation of the Short Sale package to the lender to working with the lenders Loss Mitigation Department, we know how to keep the file moving towards approval.
I have two loans, can I still do a Short Sale?
Yes. We can work with both lenders (many times the same lender hold the 1st and the 2nd loans) to put together a Short Sale transaction. Even if the value of your home is below the balance of the 1st mortgage, we can normally get the two lenders to cooperate.
In the end, neither lender wants to own another home through foreclosure.
My property is in rough shape and needs work, can I still do a Short Sale?
Absolutely. In fact, lenders are more motivated to do a Short Sale on a property that needs work than on a property that doesn’t. The lender knows the risk of loss goes up when they foreclose on a property that needs lots of work.
Aside from expense of completing the work, lenders are simply not set up to get the work done. They are in the loan business, not the fix- it business.
I am concerned about my credit, how will a Short Sale affect my credit?
The big key here is to avoid foreclosure. By nearly any measure, a foreclosure is the most damaging event your credit status can encounter - worse than bankruptcy. In the course of getting your short sale approved you may miss your mortgage payments, and these will show on your credit.
By avoiding foreclosure, you will likely be able to resume normal borrowing (car loans, credit cards, consumer goods and such) relatively quickly
My income problem was temporary. Do I need to sell my home?
You may be able to keep your home. You need to convince your mortgage company of two things:
The problem that caused the mortgage payment disruption was beyond your control – illness, injury, temporary disability or forced job change are a few examples
You are now solidly in a position to stay current on your mortgage payments and make some progress towards making up the delinquent amount.
We can help. Get our Free Guide: Getting lender approval on a Forbearance or Loan Modification Agreement
What is a Forbearance Agreement?
A Forbearance Agreement is a written agreement with your mortgage company in which you arrange to keep your home. The agreement will normally include two primary elements:
The borrower’s promise to remain current on the mortgage going forward
Some plan for making up the delinquent interest and other charges. It may mean making additional payments to the mortgage company or the delinquent amount could be added to the loan to be paid later.
This information and more can be found at the following link:
http://sacramentoshortsales.com/index.php
One More Time
I'm trying a different Blog. This one seems to be a bit better than the other two. One of the others wasn't very versatile and the other had pop ups. Maybe this will be the best of both worlds. Guess we can just try and see!
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