Great Condo for First Time Buyer or Investor

This tucked away neighborhood is bordered by a creek and nature trails. Single family type living in a condo. Home features 4 bedroom, 2 full baths/1 half bath and 1,446 square feet. All this for only $114,999. If you are renting a home or apartment and paying over $600 a month..you could own instead!

See link for detailed info:
http://www.postlets.com/res/4634612

Welcome to Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

It's official...we are no longer Prudential and are now affiliated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. Same great management, new flag. We are very excited about this change for our clients.

See video for more info:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid60997851001?bctid=73368344001

Lots of Space in Elk Grove for $250K

Fantastic single story layout with all the space of a two story on a corner lot/court location. Home features huge great room concept with upgrades that include tile flooring, stainless steel appliances, double oven, subway tiles on back splash, formal dining room, den/office as potential 4th bedroom, jack & jill bathrooms, custom built-in storage unit in family room, and backyard patio cover. Spa included.

For more information: http://www.postlets.com/res/4408152

Nearly New El Dorado Hills Home for $433K

Welcome to Blackstone, a master-planned community with a clubhouse, 3 pools and workout room. Enjoy a 2 years new home without the wait of building a new one. This $30K upgraded and well cared for home features a great room concept. Upgrades include granite counters, cherry wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, distressed maple wide plank wood floors downstairs, berber carpets upstairs, tile in all bathrooms, solar electricity (bills average $45/month), & downstairs bedroom and full bath.

For more information: http://www.postlets.com/res/4408022

Beware Short Sale Negotiator Attorney Fees

If you are contemplating using an attorney to negotiate your short sale instead of your Realtor, beware. These legal companies are popping up everywhere and they will charge you thousands of dollars to do what an experienced short sale negotiator Realtor will do for free. A Realtor is paid by their commission from the sale of the home and the home seller pays nothing. The seller's lender will pay the commission.

However, when a seller uses an attorney, they pay the attorney directly to negotiate the file. In my own experience as a Realtor who negotiates my client's short sales, attorneys do no better than an experienced Realtor. I have a short sale listing that my sellers paid $4,000 to an attorney to negotiate their short sale.

I believe having this attorney has actually hurt their negotiations. I have ended up telling my client what to tell the attorney to get the file properly negotiated. It's been a complete nightmare. Part of negotiation is letting the bank know the market. An attorney, even a real estate attorney, who is not in the trenches practicing real estate cannot understand the market better than an experienced Realtor.

Fantastic Well-Loved Home in Elk Grove $310K

Not a short sale or REO.

Immaculate, well-loved and ready to move in home. One owner. Home features dramatic entry, wrought iron staircase and great room concept with separate formal living/dining areas. One bedroom and full bathroom downstairs. Kitchen features Corian counters, stainless steel appliances, island, gas cook top, eat-in dining and breakfast bar. Yard is tropical and low maintenance with stamped concrete and a side courtyard featuring a wrought iron gate and recently installed privacy fence.

Home has 2723 square feet, 4 bedroom and 3 full baths.

For more info:
http://www.postlets.com/res/4091838

Buyers Walking on a Short Sale -- Back on the Market Previously Approved

Chances are if you're a buyer, you've put at least one offer on a short sale. It's not a fun offer. The process is long, tedious and seems like you will never have an answer. Except when you do. We just had the buyer walk after 90 days of waiting for a bank to give an approval. The buyers, to their credit, stuck in there nearly to the bitter end, but couldn't wait any longer due to their circumstances. Also, to their credit, they weren't making offers on other homes, then ended up renting.

Because of that, this great house at 9713 Tundra Swan Circle in Elk Grove's Stonelake neighborhood is now back on the market, having been approved at the list price of $235K just yesterday. Take a look. We -- fingers cross -- hope the next approval will be quicker. Banks are getting faster, more efficient, and more willing to help distressed sellers. An offer on a short sale is not as bad as it once was, especially for FHA buyers.

http://www.postlets.com/res/3385783

Too Late for the Tax Credit, Now Try a Short Sale

This 3 bed/2 bath, 1404 square foot home is located in a private court in the established Laguna Springs neighborhood. Large eat-in kitchen and spacious living/formal dining room combination. Bright master bathroom with sky light. Backyard has a wood deck, mature landscaping and plenty of shade. Home is close to schools, greenbelt, parks and shopping.

More info:
http://www.postlets.com/res/3791251

Just in time for the Federal & CA Tax Credits

This well maintained halfplex home in East Roseville is tucked away among single family homes. Home features a great room concept, master bedroom w/ sitting area & enclosed outdoor patio, & private back yard surrounded by mature trees. Includes a brand new heat pump & A/C unit worth $10K. Also features the following newer items: roof & covered rain gutters, linoleum in kitchen & bathroom, dishwasher, faucets, interior paint, & sprinkler system.

See link for additional information:
http://www.postlets.com/res/3723046

Distressed Homeowners, Want to Stay in Your House?

Thanks to the government's "Making Home Affordable" program, there's a good chance you can stay in your home if you are distressed home owner. The program, Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative (HAFA), has new voluntary guidelines to help home owners who want to stay in their home, stay, and stay affordably. Though these guidelines are voluntary, over 100 loan servicers have signed up for the program, representing 89% of current mortgage debt.


To Learn More about eligibility:
http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/

Why Rent when You Can OWN

Just listed, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos in the heart of Elk Grove's Laguna area. These are located in the established neighborhood of Foulks Ranch and close to the greenbelt, parks, schools and shopping. Community complex is well maintained and includes pool, spa, fitness center, club house and child park. Each unit also includes a detached garage.

1 bed/ 1 bath 772 sf $85,000
http://www.postlets.com/res/2655256

2 bed/ 2 bath 1,039 sf $104,500
http://www.postlets.com/res/3617020

3 bed/ 2 bath 1,168 sf $120,000
http://www.postlets.com/res/2648744

Immaculate Stonelake Home $235K

This home has is a short sale with one offer to the bank, but we are looking for backups....just in case. It's on a private street and has 3 bedrooms, a den/office and two bathrooms. At 1,728 square feet, there is plenty of room, but you won't spend all your weekends cleaning or doing yard work. Within the community of Stonelake there is a club house, pool, spa, tennis courts, basket ball courts, an elementary school and great parks. Also, closes to shopping and freeway access...but not too close.

See for yourself:
http://www.postlets.com/res/3385783

FHA Buyers Forget the Tax Credit, Go for this Short Sale

I know all you FHA buyers out there are ignoring the short sales so that you can get the tax credit. However, I also know you are getting beat out by multiple offers, and those doing conventional loans or paying cash. Forget the credit and wait it out for a fabulous house. Here's your opportunity to own a home in the established neighborhood of Foulks Ranch in Elk Grove. A neighborhood of award winning schools, a greenbelt, multiple parks and amenities galore.

This home's layout cannot be beat -- it's open, airy and just waiting for your touches. It has 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2291 square feet, with one bedroom/bathroom downstairs. Also, recently upgraded with a roof, air conditioner, heater, water heater and kitchen appliances.

Don't miss this house:
http://www.postlets.com/res/3551719

Mobile Home Just Reduced to $39,000

There aren't many places you can own to live in for $39,000. Cars cost more than this! If you are 55+ and want to live in the most well-maintained mobile home park in the valley, then this is the one for you.

For property details:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/reb/1651748589.html

New Listing 5430 Jacinto Ave, Sacramento

New short sale listing -- ONE LOAN -- the best kind of short sale to put an offer in on.

Well maintained home in desirable neighborhood near the greenbelt, trails and schools. Home features lots of natural light, spacious and open living areas, vaulted ceilings, kitchen island, backyard patio cover and much more. Home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 1435 square feet.

For details and photos, click link below:
http://www.postlets.com/res/3518482

Waiting for Loan Docs

When you get toward the end of escrow, the last thing everyone is waiting for are the infamous buyer's loan docs. I call the lender, "where are the loan docs." Lender says, "they are at title." I call title, title says, "we don't have them." Buyer calls me, "where are my loan docs." And so the story goes with multiple calls to all concerned.

Loan docs arriving mean buyers are days away from owning a home, and a seller almost free of the home. But the endless hunt can be exhausting. Of course, once everyone signs -- buyer and seller -- then the "did the loan fund," game starts. Basically a repeat of the above. In the end, it's always the same, a closing of a deal...and a happy ending.

It's the Banks vs. the Banks

Nearly all delays in a home sale closing escrow have to do with a bank causing a delay. The ironic part is that the typical seller in our area is a bank, who then fights with the buyer's lender, a bank.

I am in contract right now where a bank seller of a home took three weeks to respond to a low appraisal and in return, gave my buyer three extra business days to close escrow. The buyer's lender is now taking an additional nearly three weeks to close escrow. In the meantime, seller's listing agent and buyer's loan officer are having a not-so-nice spat via email over when this thing will close.

All the while, my buyer is left in limbo through no fault of her own. Banks on both sides I think forget sometimes that while they are pushing paper and crunching numbers that there are real humans on the other sides of these transactions.

New Year, New Market?

Not bloody likely. The banks are still trickling in their foreclosed properties, plenty of home owners are still short selling and equity owners are still staying put. However, our median resale home prices have been inching up every so slightly, but still up. A definite positive sign. And with the extension of the first time buyer tax credit, which is also including move-up buyers, we still have plenty of buyers out there fighting for homes. Considering this has been our market for the last few years, this may be the new "normal" market.

Despite all this, it's still fun, exciting and rewarding to be part of this craziness.