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Sherman Oaks, CA Real Estate News

By Bandele Oguntomilade, Top REALTOR, Your Woodland Hills Real Estate Agent 818-825-6996
(Bogun Realty and Luxury Homes)
 Fixer uppers and handyman specials often represent a good way to get a great deal on a home. As long as you are aware that these homes need work, are prepared to create a realistic budget ahead of time, and remember to leave yourself some financial "wiggle room", you can have an ideal home for much less than what comparable homes, already in top condition are selling for.  If you are the type of person who recognizes a "diamond in the rough" you'll know a great deal when you see one, and will be interested in getting a free List of Fixer-Upper Homes in Sherman Oaks, California.   To get a free list of Fixer-Upper Homes in Sherman Oaks, California, and surrounding cities, click on the links below.  When you see a home that interest you, call Bandele Oguntomilade for a showing at 818-825...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
The Recyclable House - Green Deconstruction vs. Demolition As I was completeing the educational requirements for my NAR GREEN Designation, I learned of a new and uncommon practice that is beginging to gain recognition accross the country among "GREEN" the construction industry.    Check out this awesome article I found about Ken Ortiz, the only certified deconstructionist in the midwest. What he's doing is amazing! This article is full of great links to other GREEN resources as well. http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-recyclable-house/Content?oid=1109143   The Recyclable House - Green Deconstruction vs. Demolition
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
NEW BENNET & ISAKSON BILL SCARY FOR THE HOUSING MARKET!   New Bennet & Isakson bill scary for the housing market! There is a new BILL that could hinder the housing market. Senators Bennet & Isakson want to ADD UTILITIES INTO THE DEBT RATIO WHEN QUALIFYING A HOME BUYER. They want to LOWER the Qualified Potential of every Buyer!!  Qualifying ratios are set where they are because people have other expenses. These costs are already considered in the ratios. This doesn’t help the housing market.   Write them and let them know this is a bad idea. It is called the S.A.V.E Act. = Sensible Accounting to Value Energy.   Contact Senator Bennet: http://bennet.senate.gov/contact/ Contact Senator Isakson: http://isakson..senate.gov/contact.cfm New Bennet & Isakson bill scary for the housing Market! ...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
Mortgage Lender's Top Red Flags. In an effort to issue quality loans that will actually become a performing asset to banks, lenders have stepped up their fraud prevention and are heavily scrutinizing mortgage applications.  The research firm CoreLogic estimates that fraudulent residential mortgage originations will total $7.4 billion in 2011, nearly 40% lower than the $12 billion in 2012! Investigations typically begin the moment an application is received. The lenders verify your Social Security number and often check to see if a borrower's name shows up on the government terrorist list! They will check credit reports and verify employment and then do it again days before closing the deal so be careful what you do while in escrow on a home purchase for which you need a loan!  Mortgage ...
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
I'm a psychological counselor and a matchmaker that just so happens to hold a real estate license....... I was thinking about this the other day, and it seems to me that I spend at least 75% of my time these days being a matchmaker and psychological counselor rather than just a Realtor. I mean, the key to working with buyers, anyway, is finding the right home that basically turns them on and gives them warm fuzzies.  Listening to what is on their wish list, being attentive to their life styles, and becoming familiar enough with their finances and personal style so that you know what properties to put in front of them is a skill that only comes with being a seasoned agent.  That is the first biggest accomplishment towards a successful transaction.  Being a highly intuitive MatchMaker is ...
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
Bank of America Cooperative Short Sale vs.  SB458 - Which trumps which? For those of you that are familiar with Bank of America's "Cooperative" Short sale, it basically has very similar features as a HAFA short sale except for one important thing:  It does not allow the seller to remove Bank of America's right to pursue the deficiency after the short sale closes. In most cases, I've found that the Cooperative short sale is not in my clients best interest.  Not only for the important factor I mentioned above, but also due to a timeline where if the transaction is not closed within 120 days, then BofA, as the servicer of the loan, will mandate a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. But my question is, even though BofA creates this short sale with this important disclosure of their right to pursue...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
Consumer confidence down, retail sales up!?  Apparently Consumer confidence is way down according to recent reports, however retail sales are up! Hmmm....Doesn't add up right? Where is the money for these shopping sprees coming from? Maybe its actually coming from looming foreclosures.  Some Americans have figured out that they can stay in default int their homes that they're upside down on for an extremely long time NOT paying their mortgage and in some cases even get paid by the bank after a foreclosure to move out in a "cash for keys" agreement. I guess not paying mortgage in some cases up to 3 years can free up a bunch of money to go shopping! Sounds so backwards, but its happening. While the majority of Americans work hard to stay good on their mortgage commitments, and some have l...
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
I just helped to micro-finance a loan to a group in Rwanda to help produce food - Pay It Forward Ancille is 51 years old and is a widow. She has six children between the ages of 4 and 16 years. Ancille is the president of a group called “Umucyo.” She is the first person on the left side of the photo. Ancille sells bananas, and has been working for two years. Ancille and her group have requested a loan from Kiva lenders in order to purchase more bananas. With the profits from this loan, Ancille and her team would like to satisfy the basic needs of their families, and start saving for their children. http://kiva.org/invitedby/ralph6433 Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale  
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
End the deficit!  Please consider...Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election".The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months, 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple!The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure. End the deficit! Congressional Reform Act of 2011:1. No Tenure / No Pension.A Congressman/woman collects...
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
There's a very calculating, perpetrator lurking in your home........... They could possibly be a very sinister culprit there as we speak. Beware of Bed Crocodiles! With their very stealth-like ability to hide beneath the covers, they can strike at any moment. And before you know it, you're the merciless victim of an unrelentless wrath of ........................ doggie slobber! Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
I just made a $25 donation to help an African village through SaveAfricaNow.org - Pay It Forward I met this organization at the Green Expo in Los Angeles a while back. We made a donation to SaveAfricaNow a while back, and I decided to do it again as they are half way through getting financing in place for a particular village. Just thought I'd bring it to everyone's attention. There are so many desperate people around the globe who are victims of dictatorships, warfare, and so many other socioeconomic injustices that they can really use our help. All the best,   Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
There are some new laws coming out in 2012 that will have some substantial affect on brokers, agents, and homeowners. The new law regarding HOA's is interesting.  I can remember a few times where the cost of HOA docs was ridiculously high, and perhaps this law will keep that in check. The laws regarding new fines by the DRE and also the Notice of Trustee sale are very interesting and noteworthy also. Give them a read:   Sellers Disclosing Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixtures: C.A.R. successfully sponsored a new law, effective January 1, 2012, revising the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) to include a checkbox in Section A for the seller to disclose whether the property has water-conserving plumbing fixtures.  The revised TDS also clarifies at the end of Section B that, by January 1, 20...
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
Is the listing broker still due their commission if the bank takes the property back?  Let's talk..... I have a short sale listing with Flagstar Bank in which we're finally getting close to receiving an approval. There's just a couple of updated docs that they need, but one of the docs that they need is something I'm seeing for the first time.  They want an Addendum to the listing agreement with the following verbiage: “Seller may cancel this agreement prior to the ending date of the listing period without advance notice to the broker, and without payment of a commission or any other consideration, if the property is conveyed to the mortgage insurer or the mortgage holder.” Now this got me to thinking. Is there verbiage in some listing agreements that states that during the listing peri...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
Why was my loan declined? No prospective home buyer wants to hear the words "We regret to inform you..." Unfortunately, according to federal data more than two million people in the US heard those ill fated words! Why? For a variety of reasons ranging from just not meeting certain lender requirements or because they didn't fill out the applications properly or completely. That number doesn't even include all the people who abandoned the process all together! The Mortgage Bankers Association estimate that about half the people who try to refinance and 30 percent of buyers are either declined financing or they drop out before reaching the closing!  Underwriters have been tightening up their guidelines for several years now, some even tighter than federal guidelines!  Why was my mortgage d...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
New bill could improve millions of FICO scores! Did you know that HUD just wrapped their latest and FAILED program. Imagine that! They were supposed to essentially give away $1 Billion but wound up with $600 Million dollars in unused earmarked dollars that they couldn't get their act to gether to distribute to homeowners who are un or under employed in exchange for keeping their homes out of foreclosure for at least the next 5 years. Even after they were granted an extension, this was yet another failed attempt by the federal government to stave off foreclosures.  Are you as tired of uneffective ideas for market/economy stimulation as I am?  Here's a very simple idea that actually makes sense! There is a new bill that could improve millions of FICO scores. HR2086 will allow any medical ...
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Sherman Oaks Short Sale Negotiation Strategies. What do you do when two lenders are fighting over the division of funds in a short sale? If you are like me, you've probably become aware that in the Sherman Oaks Short Sale market there are many properties where the ultimate decision cannot be made by only one party. Many of these homeowners find that after searching the Nine Alternatives to Foreclosure in Sherman Oaks that their mortgage relief options are now only one... the short sale... and that after signing with a great Pre Foreclosure Specialist agent, marketing the home aggressively to get top dollar quickly, that the bank that holds the first and the lender on the second lien cannot agree. Now what? One of the pitfalls that some agents find is that when they are upfront and gener...
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
Pay It Forward - September Reporting Post OK, Pay It Forward Angels, this is where you will write your SINGLE comment with the link to your Pay It Forward posts for August. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST REPORTING POST FOR BONUS POINTS, AS SEPTEMBER WILL BE THE LAST MONTH FOR BONUS POINTS AWARDED - HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE OTHER INCENTIVES ON THE HORIZON, SO STAY TUNED! We have 4 Sundays falling in September, so you will need to post the links to your 4 posts here. IMPORTANT REMINDER:  When awarding bonus points, posts are screened for acts of kindness you have performed yourself, not those others have done, charities being solicited (unless you have donated yourself), re-blogs, letting people know about facts and events, etc. When people read about an act of kindness you have performed yours...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
Here is something for you to really consider...... We all heard of the great loss to mankind with the passing of Steve Jobs. I honestly feel like I have lost a friend with his passing. Here he was, 56 years old, loved by millions..... Handsome, clever, witty, enriched countless lives....  ....and had Billions of $$ in the bank, one of the wealthiest people on earth....  Yet,  you and I are infinitely wealthier than he is... .... As WE HAVE TODAY,  and sadly, he does not. Spend your infinite wealth today on something that matters, enrich people's lives like Steve did. Spend your day today,like Steve Jobs would spend it if he could. Make today count! Celebrating the gift of "Today" with you today, Emily Rose Newmark
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
Check your toilet hoses! Just read an article that discusses how cheap toilet hoses can cause major flood damage. I just read an article from the Toronto Star that discussed how some certain cheap toilet hoses have caused major flood damage and even lawsuits as a result. Plus it could leave you with having to be out of your home for months due to the time it takes from remediation work necessary. The article states how some investigation was done and it is determined that those toilet hoses with the plastic nuts are the culprits. The investigation resulted in the specific type of hose that are short, flexible hoses wrapped in a braded stainless steel mesh, and topped with a cheap polymer coupling that looks like a hex nut. The plastic hex nut part of these hoses were found to break afte...
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By Emily Rose Newmark
(Keller Williams Realty)
  Anyone who's ever been a party to a short sale transaction in recent years where Bank of America holds the lien knows the frustration of trying to navigate a tiny vessel through the huge choppy ocean called B of A loss mitigation dept.  Or heaven forbid you were a buyer or agent using them on your purchase! Last year I had a couple cookie cutter loans take 3 months to fund on purchase escrows with B of A!! I swore I'd never get involved in an escrow with them again...Unfortunately they are a HUGE entity and my total avoidance didn't last too long before I was forced into business with them yet again. My last dance with Bank of America was this year as a listing agent where the buyer insisted on using B of A for their financing on our 30 day escrow and it took 4 weeks before their appr...
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