You Just Got A Short Sale Listing...Do you spend time and money to market it?   Sally & David Hanson wrote a great blog about short sale marketing. You can read it by clicking here!   Very interesting blog about marketing your short sale listing. Obviously, Sally and David Hanson made very good points about their opinion as to why an agent should market the property. Their main point is that regardless if this is a short sale or a retail listing, an agent should put together a marketing plan to try to sell the property. I, on the other hand, come from a different opinion. I just use a pricing strategy. Lower the price on a scheduled basis and the property will eventually get an offer. Unfortunately, because of my opinion, the reputation of my company was questioned. I want to display th... 09/02/2009

The FHA 203K Rehab loan program is a great loan for Orange County First Time Buyers. Currently there is a very tight supply of homes available in southern California, especially in the $250,000 to $500,000 price, which is a sweet spot for Orange County First Time Buyers. It has been frustrating for these new buyers to get an offer accepted. After going through the FHA Loan PreApproval process, they were ready to make an offer and close escrow 30 days later. So they thought. It's tough to compete against two or three other offers, let alone 20 or 30, especially when some of those offers are "all cash." New home buyers should keep their options open.FHA 203K Streamline Program is the SolutionWhat does it take to separate from the crowd? How about a program that will allow even a buyer wit... 08/27/2009

The VA loan program is being heavily utilized by Orange County residents for the first time in several years. There are several reasons for this. The increase in the Orange County, CA VA loan limit for $0 Down financing to $593,750 in 2010. The drop in property values in Orange County, CA. (And the rest of the US) The lack of other high loan to value programs. VA 100% Financing for Orange County, CA Homes to $737,500   *updated for 2010  $593,750 is limit in Orange and LA countiesThe VA loan program is a great program for those that are eligible. Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac require a minimum of 10% down payment for a home in Orange County. Even FHA, which is a great program, requires a 3.5% down payment. To make the comparison even better, while FHA has Monthly Mortgage Insurance equal to .5... 08/15/2009

Hello My Fellow Colleagues, It is very common in California and I'm assuming in other states, that a lot of Real Estate Agents are now doing Modifications, is this legal? Are we as Realtors entitle to do Modification Services? This is what I think, we should all understand our function as Realtors, people trust on us, people deposit their hopes when they talk to a Real Estate, and we should always remember that. Even though the documentation and the department that deal with this king of request is the same with the lender "Loss and Mitigation" I would recommend to all the Real Estates interested in becoming a "Modificator" to read the new RESPA regulations and if possible to partner with an Attorney for at least the begining, until you gain real knowledge and confidence on how to prese... 08/10/2009

                      VICTORY IS MINE!!!   A few days ago, I came across some bad information on Active Rain and on the web. The subject matter was about short sales (something I love to talk about and do). The bad information that was circulating was stating that agents could not short sale their own properties. This statement is FALSE! Some of the Active Rain blogs even plagiarized another website. I alerted the blog owners via their blogs that they were giving bad information and plagiarizing a website word for word while claiming the material as their own. Only 1 blog owner responded by deleting their blog. The others just deleted my comments. My personal philosophy is to live and let live so I never reported these blogs to Activerain. Only one blog did not plagiarize the website bu... 08/08/2009

There's some bad information going out in Active Rain stating that a licensed real estate agent cannot short sale their own home! This Blog post is to let agents know that they can negotiate the short sale and should do so if they have the knowledge and experience to do so. Questions and concerns brought up: 1. What about the Arms Length requirement on a short sale? The Arm's length is between all parties of the short sale (seller, buyer, seller's agent/lawyer, buyer's agent/lawyer). However, this requirement does not mean that an agent, acting on his/her own behalf, cannot short sale thier own home. 2. I thought a seller cannot benefit or receive money in a short sale? That is true. On the HUD, it cannot show that the seller receives money from a short sale. So as long as the commissio... 07/31/2009

Irvine, California ~ with some of the best residential neighborhoods at Orange County, located near Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Coast, and within a 10 minute drive of the Pacific Ocean at Crystal Cove.  Famous for pleasant weather, Irvine has lots of sunshine, award winning public schools, healthy business climate with good job opportunities, the University of California Irvine, wonderful parks and recreation areas, encouragement for business and development, diverse backgrounds of residents, many locations for recreation and fitness, places for freedom of worship, and is one of the safest cities in the United States.  LOCAL HOUSING MARKET REPORT    600 Irvine homes are now for sale on the market, with 164 homes sold the last thirty days, and 406 homes in pending status. The la... 07/30/2009

Because we're trashing our carpeted rooms and "going laminate", we actually had to spend more money than we originally thought. Was it because someone made a mistake measuring or something was damaged? No. Everything is great and actually came in "under bid". The extra cost was finding tools and tricks to take care of the fur from our dog and cat that will show more pronounced than the old worn out carpet did. 'Used to be that we could vacuum once a week and knew (or so I thought) that everything was clean, picked up, de-haired or furred... But having concrete floors for a week while preparing for the new surface, we discoverd that either our dog and cat only started shedding tremendously a week ago, or that the weekly vacuuming of previous was tremendously ineffective and hair and fur ... 07/28/2009

I've been working the Irvine short sale market for three and a half years. I have been noticing that the negative option ARM short sales are drying up or being offered loan modifications. Therefore Irvine has seen fewer short sales than the last three years. The new short sales are the result of job losses or out of state relocations. If you were thinking of buying a short sale in Irvine, then the time is now as short sales are the only way to get a great value in Orange County's hottest market area. Don't miss out on the award winning schools and lifestyle that Irvine short sales can offer you! Make sure your buyer's agent is an experienced Short sale real estate agent! Let me know if I can be of any Help!   Regards, Satar Naghshineh CA Real Estate Broker Amiri Property And Financial S... 07/24/2009

RE/MAX Homes & Estates Pre-Foreclosure Division 9241 Irvine Boulevard, Suite 150, Irvine, California 92618 (714) 588 -7676 ∙  www.orangecountyshortsalerealtor.com   If you are in a situation where: • You lost your job •Your Medical Expenses are too high •Just went through/going through a divorce •You are behind on your payments •You have no equity •You can't afford the cost of selling your home •Your income has been reduced • You are in foreclosure   WE CAN HELP YOU! It's easy and doesn't cost you any MONEY! Our services are Free!!! WHEN THE DEBT EXCEEDS YOUR HOME'S VALUE... we can help is with a SHORT SALE.   Benefits of a Short Sale: • Avoid Foreclosure • Avoid Bankruptcy • Reduced damage to your credit • Postpone your foreclosure sale date • A short sale will stay on your credit appr... 07/23/2009

Saw this article today in the O.C. Register and have to agree.   Though the city of Irvine is often described as a "family" town, it is a sought after home location for many singles. As noted in the article, 33% of the residents are single! Here are three examples of why my single clients like it: Location to the 405/5 freeways provides easy commuting to work and other social communities such as Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, etc. Excellent community amentities with shops, restaurants, movies, sports, etc. Design of homes are geared toward a more active lifestyle vs. traditional homes.  Open living and dining spaces, offices vs. family and formal living rooms. Of course, remember if you are single home buyer looking to move to Orange County, we are here to help.   Our primary focus is the... 07/22/2009

Every now and then I find I have a little time on my hands and want to try something new, so I look on the area websites and see what I can find that catches my eye, will allow me to step out of my comfort zone.  Today is one of those days!   How about a Feng Shui class?   This subject always intrigues me, and you know I find if I move one or two things it really does seem to make a difference.    Here is the class description:  The arrangement and contents of an environment affect the flow of vital energies that then influence all aspects of life, from money matters to romance. Learn to direct that flow in this introductory workshop on Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of harmonizing within the home or workplace. Instructor: Elliot Tanzer.   There are 19 seats available for this class... 07/21/2009

Central Communications of Riverside, CA has been honored with the exclusive 2009 Award of Excellence. The award is presented annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI), the industry’s trade association for providers of telecommunications and call centre services including telephone answering and message delivery. Central Communications was presented with the award at ATSI’s 2009 Annual Convention held at the Westin Convention Center Hotel, in Pittsburgh, PA. After six months of intensive testing, an independent panel of judges scored call-handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients - the cornerstones of the Call Management Industry. If a company scored 80% or better in ALL categories, they are presented with the co... 07/19/2009

IRVINE, CA ~ now with a population of about 205,000 people  The buyer and investor demand for homes in IRVINE, CA, has significantly increased. It's amazing that there are now 402 homes under contract and pending escrow (a huge number) when we have just 585 homes active for sale. This increased buyer demand shown by recent sales and pendings is squeezing the regular for sale market, where Realtors and agents simply don't have enough homes to show and sell. Market saturation (absorption) ~ number of homes sold during past thirty days (194) as compared to current listings (585).  All IRVINE homes on the market should sell within 3 months. Irvine is now a HOME SELLER'S MARKET. If you have questions about Irvine and Orange County real estate, please contact us.  Information for this update ... 07/08/2009

Orange County homebuyers planning on purchasing a condominium using FHA financing have always needed to make sure the condo project they are looking to buy is in an FHA Approved project. Buyers and Realtors can quickly determine whether a project is approved by visiting the HUD website and typing in a project name or tract number. It is even possible to print out a list of approved projects within a city or zip code.  But what happens if a condo project is not on the list? The answer has been to use the FHA Condo Spot Approval Process. The Spot Approval process allowed a lender to close an FHA loan on an individual condo unit within an unapproved complex. However, as of the June 12 release of FHA Mortgagee Letter 2009-19 the Spot Approval is gone.Why Was the Spot Approval Process Elimin... 07/03/2009

The first thing an Orange County First Time Home Buyershould do is get PreApproved for an FHA loan. (If you are eligible for $0 down VA, then PreApproved for a VA loan.) Too many times new home buyers, even move up home buyers, begin the home buying process by looking for homes and then even making an offer before talking to a lender. That can be a tempting thing to do. Who wouldn't want to check out homes in some of the cities of Orange County such as Placentia, Brea, or Fullerton? FHA financing can buy a great home in Placentia. This can lead to a major let down when they find out they won't qualify for the home they have fallen in love with or are not comfortable with the total PITI payment (principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) necessary for the home of their dreams.What is the... 06/28/2009

Irvine Real Estate$291,194Location:1 RaleighIrvine, CA 92604Map and DirectionsCondominium4 Bedrooms2 BathroomsInterior: 1230 sqftDescriptionSpacious Heritage Park home which boasts 4 bedrooms, over 1,200 sqft of living space, inside laundry, light, bright, & open floor plan, and a large back patio perfect for entertaining. You are within walking distance to all shops, schools, and parks. This would be great for a first time buyer, family, or even and investor. A must see! Price and availability are subject to change without notice. Contact The Pahua Group for more information at (949) 309-2400 or Email to Info@PGcoastal.com Photos Listed by The Pahua Group .Phone: (949) 309-2400 Listing agent/broker: The Pahua Group 06/23/2009

View all the Irvine Foreclosures. Search addresses, map the properties, view pictures and virtual tours. No cost with easy registration. Updated every 4 hours. After Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government secularized the missions and assumed control of the lands. It began distributing the land to Mexican citizens who applied for grants. Three large Spanish/Mexican grants made up the land that later became the Irvine Ranch: Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, Rancho San Joaquin and Rancho Lomas de Santiago. In 1864, Jose Andres Sepulveda, owner of Rancho San Joaquin sold 50,000 acres (200 km2) to Benjamin and Thomas Flint, Llewellyn Bixby and James Irvine for $18,000 to resolve debts due to the Great Drought. In 1866, Irvine, Flint and Bixby acquired 47,000-acre (190 ... 06/23/2009

View all the Irvine Foreclosures. Search addresses, map the properties, view pictures and virtual tours. No cost with easy registration. Updated every 4 hours. After Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government secularized the missions and assumed control of the lands. It began distributing the land to Mexican citizens who applied for grants. Three large Spanish/Mexican grants made up the land that later became the Irvine Ranch: Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, Rancho San Joaquin and Rancho Lomas de Santiago. In 1864, Jose Andres Sepulveda, owner of Rancho San Joaquin sold 50,000 acres (200 km2) to Benjamin and Thomas Flint, Llewellyn Bixby and James Irvine for $18,000 to resolve debts due to the Great Drought. In 1866, Irvine, Flint and Bixby acquired 47,000-acre (190 ... 06/23/2009

FOR IRVINE DRIVERS ED COURSES ONLINE---- near your Irivne HOME VISIT www.OCDriverTraining.com     We can help you with all your Orange County Online Driver Education and Behind the Wheel Training. Whether you just searched for: IRVINE BEHIND THE WHEEL TRAINING NEWPORT BEACH DRIVERS ED CLASSES CORONA DEL MAR DRIVERS ED COURSESLAGUNA BEACH DRIVERS ED  MISION VIEJO DRIVERS ED ONLINELAKE FOREST BEHIND THE WHEEL TRAININGLAGUNA NIGUEL DRIVERS ED SCHOOLS ALISO VIEJO DRIVERS EDUCATION     06/17/2009