My New Blog

Hi everyone,

I have to tell you that business has picked up of late! Woohoo, that is good news for everyone. Did you know that Southwest Florida had the worst housing statistics in the nation... yep, no joke.  I think that I all of us living here or wanting to live here are wondering, "What in the world is going on the prices and market?

I finally think that you all who have been waiting to buy are actually acting now. I am proud of you who have taken the next step in your home buying "relationship".  To those of you who haven't.... you may regret it in a couple of months.  I have seen so many great deals for everyone from families to seasonal residents. There are pool homes close to the beach for under 250K and furnished condos for under 100K. Amazing!

So what has changed from a year ago? Many things, prices has drastically dropped and mortgage rates have evened out.  The FHA loans have become the new "subprime" and buyers have realized that the deals are out there and they do not last long. We are even getting multiple and overpriced offers on some homes, no kidding.

What I want to know is what are you waiting for? Have you always wanted to invest in real estate - do it now. Are you wanting to provide your family with their first home - do it now.  Need Financing options, not sure if you can qualify? I have people! You won't regret it once you find that perfect house at half of what the current owners paid for it.

There is a lot going on right now in the Real Estate Market... a lot! One thing that can help homeowners in distress is negotiating a Short Sale with their lender. I have helped several of my customers get out of their house and on with their life.

You might be wondering what exactly is a short sale... If you need to sell your home or are facing foreclosure but you cannot sell your house for what you owe, this is where the bank may accept a sales price less than what you owe. Does that make sense? It is a long process but not even close to being as painful as a foreclosure, both on your credit and your ego.

If you need help, have any more questions and/or want to see if this is a good option for you please give me a call so that we can meet! I have attended many training sessions and have information that can help you!

Terra

We all know that the mortgage sector of housing has had its ups and downs recently. Good news is that several companies are trying to help homeowners who are struggling to make their payments. It is called Project Lifeline and I recommend that anyone in a little trouble look into this program. Here are a couple of key points:

1. The Major players are Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Countrywide Financial Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Washington Mutual Inc., and Wells Fargo & Co.

2. Applies to Homeowners that are more than 90 days past due on their payments

Many people are calling this a "Band-Aid" and many are afraid that it will be just like the Hope NOW program and not really help.

My thought is that if you need help, there is not hurt for you to try and take advantage of this program. Yes, it may only delay the inevitable, but do you want to take the chance of not doing it when it may work?

I know that it may seem "scary" to pick up the phone and call your lender, but it may help you not lose your home! See if you can work something out with them; in most cases they would rather work something out with you than go through the expensive foreclosure process.

Hi Everyone,

If you didn't know this already... now you do, I am obsessed with Pottery Barn! I think that if you want to sell your house, pick up a pottery barn catalog and emulate their decorating sense. I have been on appointments with buyers where their first comment was, "Wow, this looks like a Pottery Barn house, I love it!" They even list their paint colors in the catalog now.

So, in turn, I found out that the local Pottery Barn, in Naples, is hosting a FREE, thats right, FREE decorating class for the fall!!!! It is on Sunday Oct 28th and I will definitely try to be there so I can pass on the tips to my sellers. The space is limited and requires an RSVP. Just give the store in Naples a call. If you love decorating  or just need some help in that department, this is a great opportunity!

If you would like anymore information on this event please let me know.

So, those of you who live here right now know that the past two days have been down right perfect. The temps have been in the middle to high 80's, we have had a nice cool breeze and there are no hurricanes in sight... knock on wood. This kind of weather is what makes Southwest Florida such a wonderful place to live, raise a family, and retire. Not only that, our home prices are way down from the last two years making homeowning both more affordable and you can get more "bang for your buck"!

Back to the weather, now is the time to get out with your family, go to the local parks, attend some of the local events and enjoy this wonderful time of the year!