Could This Maybe, Kinda, Sorta Be the Bottom of the Market?

Looks like we could be at the bottom of the market. Experts are forecasting as slight 1% increase in home sales next year and a 1.7% increase in prices. It's small, but at least it's up. Of course, we'll never truly know we've hit the bottom of the market until about six months after it's passed.

Visit, for more info: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-20/california-home-sales-to-climb-1-next-year-realtors-forecast.html


For real estate info, visit: http://www.scottandkimsellhomes.com

CA Department of Real Estate Consumer Help

The California DRE has created booklets to help consumers navigate the real estate world. With topics that include:

"Finding the Right Real Estate Agents: What You Should Do"
"Preventing Real Estate Fraud: How to Protect Yourself and Your Home"
"Surviving the Escrow Process in California"
"Loan Modification Self-Help Guide"
"Financial Sense to White Picket Fence"

For more info and downloading booklets, visit: http://www.dre.ca.gov/cons_home.html

Also visit for additional housing market info: http://www.scottandkimsellhomes.com

Help for Vets Buying First Home

The Pentagon Federal Credit Union is providing financial assistance up to $5,000 to Veterans or active duty military members to buy their first home.

For more info: http://www.pentagonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dream_index

Free Shade Trees

Doesn't a free shade tree sound good now that we are in the dog days of summer. Our local SMUD is celebrating 20 years of free shade trees.

For details, visit: savewithsmud.org

AHMS to Charge Buyer 1% Fee for Short Sale

 This is something new to me in the crazy world of short sales. I was just informed by a listing agent on a short sale where I represent the buyers that the loan servicer, AHMS, is charging my buyers a 1% short sale processing fee. This is a new way to stick it to buyers. Buyers of a short sale already get a raw deal: they wait months for an approval, the home typically has deferred maintenance, no repairs will be made, etc. These buyers are scraping every penny to buy this house, they don't have an extra 1% laying around.

AHMS should be ashamed ....karma will get them!

For Home Owner's with a Distressed BofA Loan

This is a great website for home owner's with Bank of America who are having issues paying their loan, considering a short sale or a loan modification.

visit: http://homeloanhelp.bankofamerica.com/en/index.html?cm_mmc=CRE-HomeLoans-_-vanity-_-CA01VN001N_homeloanhelp-_-NA

It's Officially, Better to Own than Rent

In today's Sacramento Bee on the front page is a great article about the gap closing between renting and owning.

Visit here for more info: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/23/3788812/home-ownership-in-sacramento-area.html