DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE 203K LOANS!

Tis the time of vast foreclosure opportunities. Since most of these properties needs some fixing, don't forget about this little-known loan program for fixer-uppers.


Home buyers thinking of purchasing a distressed property in need of repair, but who are concerned that the cost of the repairs could drain their savings account may qualify for the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) 203(k) rehabilitation program.

KEEP THIS IN MIND

• The FHA’s 203(k) rehabilitation program provides loans for covering renovation costs as well as the purchase price of the primary residence. Investors are not eligible for this program. Additionally, similar to traditional FHA loan programs, the rehab program allows for a down payment of as little as 3.5 percent.

• A common misperception about the program is that the house needs to be unlivable. Realistically, the property just needs to be outdated, according to a lender familiar with the program. The property “just has to appraise below market value and then at market value with the repairs.”

• Improvements deemed “luxury” are ineligible; however, the program has a wide range of definitions for “repairs” and “modernization.” Covered repairs include items such as a new roof or heating system, as well as decorative changes, like replacing vinyl with ceramic tile on the kitchen floor or painting the interior.

• In addition to putting down at least 3.5 percent of the current value of the property, buyers also must use a HUD-approved lender, appraiser, and a contractor approved by the lender for the repairs. One list of approved businesses can be found at 203kcontractors.com.

• Borrowers considering the FHA rehab loan program should be aware that loan rates typically run around a percentage point higher than conventional loans, and come in 15- to 30-year terms, either fixed or adjustable. Additional paperwork for inspection, appraisal, title updating, and the like can increase closing costs by $1,000 or more higher than the average.

• For additional information about the FHA 203(k) rehabilitation program, please visit HUD 203K INFO

So if you're looking at a good buying opportunity but worried about how to find the money to fix it up, this is a great program for you.  Call me with any questions.  I have access to 203K approved contractors and lenders for this program.  It's worth your time to investigate the possibilities. 

Call Charlie, your friend in the Neighborhood with all your real estate questions.  If we don't have the answer, we'll find it for you!

OWE MORE ON YOUR HOME THAN IT'S WORTH? GOOD NEWS!

If you owe more on your home than it's worth, I have some good news for you! No Short Sale Deficiencies: Starting January 1, 2011, a seller's first trust deed lender cannot obtain a deficiency judgment against the seller after a short sale. Providing written consent to a short sale shall obligate the first trust deed lender to accept the sales proceeds as full payment and discharge of the remaining amount owed on the loan. This law applies to first trust deeds secured by one-to-four residential units, but does not limit the lender from seeking damages for fraud or waste by the borrower. Senate Bill 931. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed Senate Bill 1178, our sponsored bill, which would have extended California's anti-deficiency protection to refinance loans.

If you owe more than your home home is worth and don't know what to do, call me, I can help! You can also check out my Short Sale Website for answers to some common questions in today's market.

As we near the Holiday season for 2010, please start thinking about ways to help some of our South Bay families in need this year. Although we are blessed to have fewer foreclosures and homeless families than most areas in the county, we still have friends and neighbors in need. If you have a request for your neighbor or friend, let me know. We are starting to collect Holiday Gifts for kids and food bank supplies for families. If you can contribute, please call and I will pick up. If you or a friend or neighbor needs help please let us know. We are here to support our community in any way we can!

TIME TO CANCEL TIME MAGAZINE

I’d always considered myself a centrist/conservative. Subscribing to Time Magazine is not something a “dyed in the wool” conservative would do. I appreciate hearing all points of view. That said, the August 30th issue with the cover question “Is America Islamophobic?” really got my dander up (that’s a Midwest phrase.) I spent 9-11-01 in Hawaii with 2000 people at a seminar, a good portion from New York. My roommate lived less than 1 mile from Ground Zero. Dozens of my attendee friends lost loved ones. We were stuck on the island. No flights in or out that week. We grieved together, cursed together and learned about each other on a much deeper level than could ever have been anticipated. The Time article particularly angered me. To cover that gripe I need the space of a book, not a blog.

Now I’m reading the September 6th issue, the front cover shouting “Rethinking Homeownership.” As a Realtor and Real Estate Broker I tried to review their information with an open mind. After all, I need to know what my clients are being told. That recalls another phase “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” When I finished their ludicrous article I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Their concept conclusion - Americans should trend toward dumping their homes and consider inner city living in cities where people can walk to work. The author envisioned urban areas becoming hotbeds of rental housing. Obviously, this writer is probably not a homeowner, certainly doesn’t live in Los Angeles and most likely will never earn a living as a writer except maybe for comedy.

Since most of my clients live near the beach or on the hill (Palos Verdes Peninsula) I’m trying to imagine leaving those homes behind and moving downtown. They could rent a flat (some buildings are currently converting to lofts.) They could walk to work (assuming they can find a job downtown.) They could also take the Red line to the Blue line to the bus station to the beach …problem with dragging those surf boards though. Perhaps this author lives in New York City. If that’s the case, I pray she lives in the same neighborhood as the intended mosque. Meantime, if you would like to downsize to a rental loft in the business district, please call me! I have many people trying to buy homes in the South Bay area. Somehow we have this strange conception that God is not making anymore Beach Front property. I suppose that will hold until the next “big” one drops us into Las Vegas, but I digress.

If you are a first time buyer NOW is the time to buy not rent. Interest rates are in the 4’s for heaven’s sake. If you have a paycheck and even if you have to commute to a job in East Butt Scratch, I suggest this is your window of opportunity. And if you’re short on funds, you can start saving money right now by cancelling your Time Magazine subscription!

Tired of the Wolves?

Every day we hear a different story....the real estate market is recovering....oops, foreclosures are up....OK, notices of default are down...Oh boy, stock market is up...Geez, Dow just crashed...It's gotten to be such a travesty that "television news" is no longer watched for information, just for entertainment.  We know a lot more about Brad and Angelina than what the new health care bill actually contains.  News in the information age has become much more confusing and self-serving than helpful.   

The information available for distressed homeowners is abundant.  If you're currently unemployed, you'll have time to wade through it.  If you aren't, the task is daunting.  I've been in the real estate business for over 30 years now and I've seen depressed market conditions before.  I don't think I've ever seen such depressed homeowners though.  After receiving so many "trouble" calls this year, I decided to create a team to help those people who are overwhelmed with "wolves at their doors" and underwhelmed with the accuracy and availability of helpful infomation.  Team South Bay Realty has had it's own TeamSouthBayShortSales website for quite a while but we needed more.  We needed more "hands on deck" and a way to get the information out to those in need but too embarassed to call for help.  We decided to partner with a national site to help our homeowners "keep the wolves from their doors" and obtain information more easily and accurately either on their own or with our help.  Thus was born our additional site:  Program 3648. Now with the expanded reach of a national information site and our "hands on" regional assistance, we can help our neighbors and friends solve problems and save their homes and sanity. 

Visit our sites and/or call or email Charlie for a personal consultation if you need one.  Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives to do the same.  We expect the foreclosure market to get much worse between now and 2013.  We want you to know that if and when you need us, we're here for you.  We cover the South Bay for all your real estate needs including residential and income properties.

Team South Bay provides many services to our clients including our network of small business partners throughout the Southland listed in  Charlie's Business Referral Directory.  We invite you to partner with us too and let us know who you recommend for premium service.  If you'd  like to recommend someone, please call or email their information. 

Please remember, we are NEVER too busy for your referrals.  We take pride in our personal service and you can rest assured the people you send our way will be grateful for your referral.

Meantime, chin up!  There is always a light

at the end of every tunnel. 

Let's keep the lamps lit together.

Charlie :)

SUMMERTIME DREAMS FOR LOWER POINT VICENTE, RANCHO PALOS VERDES

The local Realtor Boards were invited to a luncheon yesterday provided by the Annenberg Foundation at the new Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.  The presentation was on their new proposed DISCOVERY PARK at Lower Point Vicente.  Discovery Park would annex the Point Vicente Interpretive Center combining with and adding a combination of exhibits and programs on topics relevant to the region and community: a Tonga village, an archaeological dig, flora and fauna, geology, weather, local pioneers including whalers and ranchers and much more.  It will be a Gift to the Community provided by the Annenberg Foundation under the leadership of Wallis Anennberg.  Ongoing operations and maintenance would be underwritten by the Foundation as well. 

The presentation was lengthy and informative.  The proposed projects and designs were awesome and beautifully articulated.  Since there is too much information for my simple blog, click on the link to learn about the Lower Point Vicente Discovery Park Project and the Annenberg foundation. 

You may already be familiar with some of their other Los Angeles programs, such as the Annenberg Space for Photography and Annenberg Community Beach House.  You can also call with questions or concerns regarding the project at 310-406-3710 or email jjaakola@annenbergfoundation.org. 

p.s. my dogs photos appear here because they are definitely in favor of the project.  We walk the trails all the time and know this will be a wonderful addition  (especially the Pet Adoption Suites) for the community and our families. 

p.s.s. The Lunch was FABULOUS!  I highly recommend the new Terranea Resort as well and their public access grounds are animal friendly! 

A Good Time To Buy?

A good time to buy?



Many housing economists have said that for borrowers with stable incomes, good credit history, and FICO scores of at least 620, now is an opportune time to purchase a home. Although inventory rates are below the long-run average, there still are plenty of options available for buyers of middle to high-end homes.


Consumers trying to time the market and purchase their home when prices are likely to rise again are advised to take a different approach. According to one real estate consultant, while home prices have stopped declining in most areas, and even have risen in some markets, mortgage rates may rise, offsetting any potential savings.


Early last year, the Federal Reserve began purchasing mortgage-backed securities, which helped maintain low interest rates for consumers. However, the Fed’s purchase program ended in March, and some analysts forecast interest rates to increase throughout the rest of the year. One financial publishing company predicts that rates likely will rise to 5.5 percent by mid-2010 and close the year at 5.75 percent to 6 percent. The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) projects rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages to average 5.6 percent this year.

Closely-watched indices, including the Standard & Poor’s/Case Shiller Index, indicate that the high end of the market didn’t experience the same dramatic price appreciation as the low end. Home prices in this segment have not declined as steeply as homes in the mid- to low-end of the market. Additionally, many discretionary sellers in the high end—those who do not have to sell their homes—are opting to wait until home prices rise before listing their homes for sale.



The high end of the market also is facing challenges with buyers qualifying for financing. During the height of the market, many high-end home purchases were fueled by exotic mortgage products. Now that those mortgages are no longer readily available, many lenders are requiring borrowers to provide proof of income, such as W-2s and recent paystubs, as well as demonstrate their ability to meet the monthly mortgage obligation.

This year is still providing many windows of opportunity.  If you've been waiting to move into a larger home or waiting to downsize for retirement, this is a good time to move forward.  As the market stabilizes, interest rates will rise.   Use this time to meet your goals and make the most of the current market.  Why wait 3-5 years to achieve the same result under different circumstances. 

Call me with questions about your home value or for a list of homes to preview in your area. You know I'm never too busy to be of service in my community and never too busy for your referrals!

The home pictured above is a wonderful 3 bedroom home in the Lomita Pines area.  Check out this home's personal website:
http://www.2077guyson.com/ for all the details or call me and I'll send a copy of the listing information directly to you. 

Enjoy the beautiful Spring weather!

Governor Signs Home Tax Credit Bill!

Governor Schwarzenegger today signed AB 183 providing $200 million for home buyer tax credits. The bill allocates $100 million for qualified first-time home buyers who purchase existing homes and $100 million for purchasers of new, or previously unoccupied, homes.

 

Eligible taxpayers who close escrow on qualified principal residences between May 1, 2010 and December, 31, 2010, or who close escrow on a qualified principal residence on and after December 31, 2010 and before August 1, 2011, pursuant to an enforceable contract executed on or before December 31, 2010, will be able to take the allowed tax credit.

This credit is equal to the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000, taken in equal installments over three consecutive years. Under the bill, purchasers will be required to live in the home as their principal residence for at least two years or forfeit the credit (i.e. repay it to the state). Buyers also must be at least 18 years old and be unrelated to the seller. First-time buyers are defined as those who have not owned a home in the past three years.

Governor    “I have been up and down the state pushing this important housing bill that will get people off the fence and into homes while creating jobs and stimulating our economy – and today I am proud to take action and put it into law,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Creating jobs is my number one priority and I am glad that I have been able to sign two job-creating bills in two days. I applaud the legislature for their great work and encourage them to keep it up and pass the remaining job-creating elements of my California Jobs Initiative.”

If you are a first time home buyer - call me!  Let's put you in escrow before all our First Time Home Buyer initiatives run out.  If you're a move-up Buyer, the clock is ticking on the $6500 federal tax credit for you this year as well.