Real Estate Information

ABBEY ROAD- A safe secure fun place to live. When the developers looked at the small rolling piece on South Arlington Avenue near the Marion, Johnson County line. Their vision was to develop it into a small custom gated community where safety, fun and no hassle living could be enjoyed. The safety issue was addressed with the Southside's first gated neighborhood. The fun was encouraged with the custom clubhouse with a plasma screen, kitchen, guest quarters and work out facility. No hassle living was addressed with yard maintenance and snow removal being paid in the association fees.

Inquire today about below market 2.99% interest rates, home trade-in program, bringing your own builder, and other exciting points of interst.

I am sorry that I have not stayed on top of this Blog like I would like but we have been very busy. I was quoted in the Daily Journal newspaper yesterday as to the condition of the market since it is up. The $8,000 tax credit is ending Dec. 1, 2009 and if you plan on taking advantage of the credit...you need to start the buying process today. We sold 40 homes last month, listed 27 and closed 23. In a good market we would close 30 homes and we blew past that number last month.

Despite what some people believe, the $8,000 tax credit for first time buyers or for someone who hasn't owned a home in the past three years is stimulating our local economy. From March 1, 2009 through August 18, 2009 we have sold 146 homes and prices have ranged from $26,000 to $700,000. Only buyers who have closed on their new home by Dec. 1, 2009 will be eligible for the tax credit.

I have received a few questions lately about "short sales" and/or a "deed-in-lieu." These circumstances are almost the same thing as a foreclosure and will have the same impact on your credit score. Sometimes we have been really creative in helping seller's sell a home before their credit is completely tarnished. If you are being faced with this situation, call us early rather than later.

The Southside home market is getting better and we are starting to see the homes beyond the first time home buyers sell. So the stimulus package is working!

The first time buyers dominoed the market up- when they bought- those sellers to then bought up and on and on.

First time buyers need to buy now- realizing the stimulus runs out December 1, 2009. They should count on purchasing before October 1st, 2009 so they can be closed by the deadline.

Rates are low- below 6%, gas is down, construction costs are down, banks are dealing on lots- great time to build a new home!

Now is the time to buy or build!

We were closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the holiday weekend. Myself and the team had a much needed break. We closed 34 homes in June and listed 20 homes. We are still plugging away and selling homes. The market is still hot and I think you will see more first time buyers in the market as the December 1st deadline approaches for the stimulus money.

IS BUYING A SHORT SALE WORTH IT?

Buying a short sale can turn out to be a good investment but there are a few things you should know before submitting an offer. First, you must be in a situation where you have plenty of time to wait for a response, banks/lenders will respond on their own time. Often times it takes several weeks to get a response and it can be even longer if there is more than one lien holder involved. Secon, banks/lenders will not even consider an offer if it is contingent upon selling a home. Third, a buyer must be prepared to buy the home as-is. In most cases, sellers don't have money for repairs and thus it will become the responsibility of the new owner. Lastly, at the end of the day the bank/lender has the final say. They can always turn down the short sale request even though you waited for an answer.

May was a great month for us but a lot of hard work. We sold 35 homes in May and closed 16. We had 30 homes set to close in May but half of them have pushed into June. The banks and the new nation wide appraisal firms are behind. They have limited staff for the volume of business they are doing with new home sales and refinances. The good news is that the housing market for our area is on the move!

Are you thinking of selling? Now is the perfect time to get your home on the market. Many of the south side neighborhoods are gearing up for their annual community garage sales. Not only is it a great way to de-clutter your home, but just think of how many people will drive by your home during the community sale. Check with your neighbors and your home owner's association about your community garage sale!

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post last week! We haves sold 50 houses in the last 61 days and listed 46. We are currently working 7 offers, trying to get 6 buyers out today and list another 3. The one thing I can tell you...we are moving houses. All price ranges are selling as well. Until next week, do something great and have a profound and lasting impact on someone.