Decisions, Decisions! New Construction Home or Pre-Existing Home in Antioch, CA. (Part II) In Part I of this Series, we primarily discussed the pro's and con's of purchasing a new construction home in Antioch. Today in Part II, we will focus on the pro's and con's of purchasing a Pre-Existing home in Antioch, CA. Antioch has a number of pre-existing homes in established neighborhoods through out the community. Although the majority of the homes in Antioch were built after 1990, there are a few neighborhoods built prior to that time. The homes in Mira Vista Hills, a lovely community sitting high among the hills above James Donlon Boulevard were built in the 1980's. Many of these homes have nice views, side access yards, mature and lush gardens and do not have Antioch Mello Roos Tax. The ... 02/23/2012

    Antioch CA – Buying a Short Sales can be a great way to get a good deal on your home purchase. However, you need to be aware of what is involved with buying a short sale. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Here are four things that will give you a better chance at success. 1. You must work with an agent that understands the short sale process. If your agent doesn’t understand the process, then they won’t know which short sales are worth looking at and which to avoid. 2. You must be pre-approved for a loan with a reputable lender. The short sale lender will want to know that you are qualified to buy before they will approve the short sale. 3. You must understand that not every property can be bought for below market value.... 02/22/2012

  Antioch CA – What a relief! You can now short sale your home and not feel like a loser. In fact, it’s becoming the “cool” thing to do. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. I recently read an article about how Medicare was costing way more than the government had projected it would cost. The article stated that there were several stages of how these programs work. First, people who are eligible have to be told about the program. They join and the program might meet close to its projected costs. Then, all the people eligible for the program join. After a little while people who aren’t eligible for the program feel like suckers for not getting the free benefits. They jump in. The program starts to cost more than originally proje... 02/20/2012

    Antioch CA – In a recent blog posts, I discussed how banks throw out a short sale file if it is rejected. When an offer comes in on a short sale, it takes 30-60 days for a person at the bank to look at the offer. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Then, that person orders an appraisal on the property. After that appraisal comes back, the bank employee reviews the property value and the home seller’s personal financial situation. Based on that, they approve or deny the short sale offer. They do this to avoid approving short sales when either a homeowner can still afford the house or the house is selling for under the appraised value. What do they do if the short sale offer is rejected? Well, they tell the buyer to hit the ... 02/18/2012

    Antioch CA – We received an email from another agent named Mark that shows how the flawed short sale process causes banks to lose thousands. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Here is the email from Mark. “I have been working on a Short Sale for almost a year now. The abandoned Home was listed at $103,000 in the beginning. The price was unrealistic for a virtual tear-down built in 1860. It will take 3 semi trailers to haul off the asbestos alone. We received several offers for $85,000 and $89,000 from the city. They wanted to buy the 2 acre property to expand the city park. The asking price is now $69,000 and we have had multiple offers. However the bank keeps on declining these offers because they don’t feel that they ar... 02/17/2012

  Antioch CA – In 2010, an agent I know talked to the person at Bank of America in charge of the Loss Mitigation Department. He was the top manager in the department that handles short sales, loan modifications, and foreclosures. He contacted this agent because agents were banding together to educate the public on the mistakes he thought that Bank of America was making. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Today, almost 2 years later, Bank of America is starting to make a few, small changes to the short sale process. This agent recommended small changes to how Bank of America handled the short sale process. He recommended several changes that would be easy to implement. But, it still took almost 2 years for them to implement th... 02/15/2012

Investing in Contra Costa County Real Estate – Making an Offer Site Unseen! If you are looking at Investing in Contra Costa County Real Estate things are a little different than buying a home to live in yourself. I do a lot of shopping for out of town Real Estate Investors and even help them buy homes that they have never seen. However, there are other reasons you may not be able to see a home before making an offer. Often times on multi-unit properties, 2-4 Units or Apartments the seller will state they do not want anyone to see the property before putting in an offer or going into contract. Why? Well there are several reasons for this. A landlord has an obligation to give advance notice to tenants of entry. The tenants have paid rent and have a right to the uninterrupted enjoyment of ... 02/15/2012

      Antioch CA – In many cases, short selling your home and then renting or buying it back is considered mortgage fraud. Because loan modifications are so difficult many homeowners are considering selling their home and then renting it from the new owner. Many homeowners look at this as the best way to get their loan balance reduced. “I owe 400k, my house is worth 200k, and the bank won’t reduce the amount I owe on a loan modification. I’ll just sell the home to my friend, rent it from him, and then but it back in 2-3 years after I fix my credit”, they think to themselves. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. The Bankers are afraid that if this is allowed, then everyone will want to short sale their house and then rent it fro... 02/13/2012

Commuting Made Easy from Antioch, CA? Commuting made easy? No, that is not an oxymoron if you use the alternative methods. Antioch is centrally located to go to points North, South, East and West. Think of major metropolitan areas, including suburbs, and you think of...traffic. Antioch is uniquely situated for commuting in any direction. With it's location in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Antioch is a wonderful community in which to reside and commute to a number of any other cities or communities. Located in the East Contra Costa County Antioch offers a variety of public transportation. For those who prefer the back roads versus the highways and byways, Antioch has access to those as well. These back roads from Antioch may take an extra few moments more, but the views and relaxat... 02/10/2012

Upcoming Events in Antioch, CA.   Antioch, CA. is a whirlwind of activity any time of year. Whatever your taste you are sure to find something to enjoy. Whether it be outdoor activities such as golf, boating or hiking. Or perhaps the theater, art or musical venues. There are also several non-profit benefits held in Antioch through out any given year. These are just a few reasons Antioch, CA. is such a great place to live. Also known as the "Gateway to the Delta", Antioch, CA. has miles  of waterways for family enjoyment. The "Delta" as it is fondly known by is a "must destination" for those visiting and residents alike. With it's close proximity to San Francisco and other Bay Area locations, Antioch, CA. is an ideal community with access to a variety of events. The prestigious Lone Tree... 02/10/2012

New Subdivisions in Antioch, CA? Yes, new subdivisions are popping up through out Antioch! There are currently six new subdivisions being built in Antioch. Each new subdivision in Antioch has it's own distinctive flair. The subdivisions are conveniently located from the western side of Antioch to the eastern side of Antioch. Prospective home buyers may want to include these new subdivisions in Antioch in their home search. Many prospective home buyers are under the impression that when looking at or purchasing a home in a new subdivision they have to work with the builder directly. However, this is not the case. Most prospective home buyers are unaware that they can in fact have a Realtor of their choice when viewing and/or purchasing a home in a new subdivision. Engaging a Realtor is v... 02/10/2012

  Antioch CA – The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Roberta. Here was her question. “A company has talked to me about short selling my home to them and they will then rent it back to me. They will allow me to buy it from them after my credit is repaired a few years down the road. This sounds too good to be true. Am I going to get in trouble with my lender if I do this? Roberta.” Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Here was our answer to Roberta’s question. I am not a lawyer and can’t provide you with legal advice. I don’t know if you will get into trouble. But, I don’t think it is a good idea. The banks don’t like it and they all have different rules regulating it. Every bank issues different short ... 02/10/2012

  Antioch CA – The most likely reason why a bank would accept to issue an extension on a short sale is because the bank prefers to do the short sale over the foreclosure. This is a reason why your agent needs to continue to tell them on why the short sale will be beneficial during the entire process. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. The biggest reason a short sale is beneficial is because banks usually make 10-20% more on a short sale compared to selling a property after foreclosure. Besides, the further out the foreclosure date is, then the more beneficial the short sale. That is because the bank gets to sell the house today, rather than 12-18 months down the road. The savings can be quite substantial when you sit down and ... 02/09/2012

    Antioch CA – Under normal circumstances, banks are not required to extend the closing of a short sale. The last thing a buyer would want to hear is that their mortgage lender can’t perform especially after waiting for a number of months to buy a home. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. For the non-short sale transaction the buyer’s lender has complete control of the entire transaction and decides on the closing date. This is not the case in a short sale. Why not? With a short sale the short sale bank usually says the short sale approval is only good for 30 days. If the sale doesn’t close before that, then the short sale approval is null and void. If the buyer’s lender can’t meet that date, the buyer could end up losing ou... 02/08/2012

    Antioch CA – You can hire a real estate agent if you want to, but it’s not a necessary step to get preapproved for the short sale. I help my sellers get preapproved but not every short sale agent offers this type of service because we don’t get paid to do it Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Here is how the program is approached: 1. Write a hardship letter. 2. Send the hardship letter to the bank and ask the bank to do a Cooperative Short Sale. 3. Follow up with Bank of America weekly to make sure your Cooperative Short Sale is being processed. The bank might request other documents. But, in most cases it will not. The program is streamlined. This means the bank will run a credit report. If your FICO score is very low an... 02/06/2012

Antioch Real Estate Investing – Multi Unit Properties Investing in Antioch Real Estate is very popular right now due to the low interest rates, low prices, and good rents. However, that also means there is a lot of competition for certain properties. Well if you are thinking about Investment Properties maybe it is time to think out of the Single Family Home Box and look at Multi-Unit Properties. There are some Triplexes and Fourplexes in East Contra Costa County and also some properties with 2 homes on one lot. Often these properties offer a great Return on Investment. The lending rules for 4 or few units in a Rental Property is basically the same a Single Family Home Investment Property. Another possibility for Real Estate Investments is Apartment Houses. These can be an excellent Inve... 02/06/2012

    Antioch CA – Despite the fact that the Cooperative short sale may help the borrower leave the home without some of the negative aspects of a foreclosure, it has its drawbacks that you may need to consider before you decide to explore this option. Below are some of the drawbacks: Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Deed in Lieu. In the event that your home does not sell, then the program stipulates that the next step is a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. This affects your credit just like a foreclosure does. We not see why you couldn’t refuse the deed-in-lieu at that stage and attempt another short sale. Or, at least live “rent free” until the bank forecloses. Second Lender / Mortgage Insurance Refusal to Participate. If you ha... 02/02/2012

  Antioch CA – A cooperative short sale may be a good option depending on your situation. But, you need to remember that Banks are not in the business of making life easier for its customers, much less anyone trying a short sale. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Banks are in business to turn a profit. The main reason Bank of America has initiated the Cooperative Short Sale is to increase the bank’s bottom line profit. They increase their profit whenever they cut losses on loans that are in default. The bank faced several problems: 1. They have a bad reputation for taking too long to process short sales and loan modifications. 2. Due to the length of time to buy a short sale, buyers are making lowball offers. 3. Many agents ... 02/01/2012

Prance to Prewett Ranch in Antioch, CA? Prewett Ranch in Antioch, CA., is a great neighborhood. Some of the homes have beautiful views of Antioch as well as the San Joaquin River. On a clear day you can see the Antioch Bridge towering over the shimmering Delta. What a wonderful view to come to after a day at the office!  Prewett Ranch consists of single family homes with both single story and two story homes dotting the landscape. Prewett Ranch homes were built in the early to mid 1990's and most have well established and mature landscaping. Many homes built after 1989 in Antioch have an Antioch Mello Ross Tax attached to them. Prewett Ranch is conveniently located near Antioch Schools and many prestigious colleges and universities, such as Stanford University in Palo Alto and the Unive... 02/01/2012

  Crosspointe Apartments vs. Home ownership in Antioch, Ca Cross Pointe Apartments in Antioch is one of the largest and most centrally located apartment complexes in Antioch. They are situated on Lone Tree Way and Vista Grande with shopping and restaurants within walking distance. Cross Pointe Apartments offer several different floor plans with numerous buildings comprising the complex.  There is a community pool, gym, and many individual garages.   According to an associate at Cross Pointe, a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1096 square foot apartment currently rents for $1,523.00 per month. With the excellent availability, low interest rates, and pricing of single family homes for sale in Antioch today, serious consideration may want to be given to purchasing a home.   Lets compare:   Renting at $1... 02/01/2012