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Phillips Ranch, CA

Be Careful if seeking a Loan Modification

05-17-11
Brett Ehart
Brett Ehart: Real Estate Agent in Corona, CA
Be Careful if seeking a Loan Modification

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) is warning customers to watch out for loan modification scams. The DRE has filed a record number of actions against scammers who have offered loan modification and loan mortgage relief services.

The DRE has opened more than 4,500 cases that involve loan modification complaints since 2008, as well as 88 accusations accusing 159 real estate professionals of violating real estate laws in connection with offering loan modification services.

The most popular loan scam: Guaranteeing a loan modification in exchange for an upfront fee. Once the fee is paid, the scammer does little or nothing to obtain a loan modification.

“With so many home owners facing financial hardship, foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams are very prevalent and consumers need to be on guard,” says DRE Commissioner Jeff Davi. “We have seen many variations of scams, but most all involve the collection of illegal advance fees. If someone asks for money upfront, that is a huge red flag.”

The DRE is telling customers to avoid becoming a victim of a scam by never paying an upfront fee for loan modification services and being skeptical of guarantees They are encouraging home owners to contact a HUD approved counseling agency, which can provide loan modification services for free.


For more information about the Phillips Ranch real estate market, including current Phillips Ranch homes for sale, Phillips Ranch property values, and Phillips Ranch Foreclosures, please visit the Phillips Ranch Real Estate information website at Phillips Ranch Real Estate. And you can always contact me, Brett Ehart, with any of your real estate or mortgage questions. Call (909) 868-1955 or email Brett@bkEstates.com.

Seller Mistakes That Could Cost Big Bucks!

05-14-11
Brett Ehart
Brett Ehart: Real Estate Agent in Corona, CA
Seller Mistakes That Could Cost Big Bucks!

Here are some big mistakes that sellers make, that could cost them big bucks!

The Guided Tour. Hovering over buyers and explaining every detail about your home makes them nervous. They might want to discuss your Phillips Ranch home with their spouse or their agent, and they will feel uncomfortable if you are within earshot. Buyers often want to have a conversation about what they like and what they would change if the home were theirs. If you happen to hear this discussion, please keep your opinions to yourself. If you must be present during a showing, take a walk or go sit on the front porch until the buyers are done. Any questions they have will be relayed from their agent to your agent.

The Dirty, Messy, Cluttered House. You should already know that your house in Phillips Ranch needs to make a great first impression when buyers visit. There's a lot of competition out there, so make your home stand out. Pack up all the stuff you don't use, and store it. Clean every room, and keep it that way. Put away dirty laundry and dishes, and keep any pet-related smells under control. A pristine house will sell quickly, so your hard work will pay off.

The Unrealistic Seller. With all of the foreclosures and short sales available, you must price your Phillips Ranch home to compete. Buyers will compare your house to everything on the market, regardless of whether it is bank owned or not. Do you really think your house is worth 30% more than the foreclosure down the street? Go out and look at other properties in your area in your price range. How does yours compare? You must price it competitively. Get Real and Get it Sold!

The Tricky Listing. If the photos of your house have been photoshopped, and do not represent reality, if you forget to tell buyers about needed repairs, or about the river that runs through the back yard every time it rains, they will find out. Then they won't trust you. Even if you were able to trick someone into buying your home, the liability issues would be huge. Being honest about your home in Phillips Ranch will bring trust and respect from the buyers, and they will feel comfortable negotiating with you.

The Over-Personalized Home. Surely you have heard that you should use neutral colors when you decorate, if you are planning to sell your house. If you just can't live without chartreuse carpet, or you have to paint the walls black so you can sleep late, do it at your next house. Make this one appeal to the masses, and then one of them will buy it. Many prospective buyers just can't get past what they perceive as odd colors or decorations.

The Bad MLS Photos. Did you know there is a facebook page dedicated to bad MLS photos? You really don't want to see your Phillips Ranch home there! Make sure your home is tidied up before pictures are taken, and then check what they look like online. Either have your agent send you a link to the listing, or find it yourself on one of the many real estate websites that carry MLS data. There is only one thing worse than bad MLS photos: No MLS photos. Buyers expect to have an idea of what your house looks like before they come to look. Don't disappoint them.

The For-Sale-By-Owner Ads. When you listed your house for sale with a real estate agent, you gave up your 'by owner' status. Advertising it yourself as by owner, when it is listed by a broker will just irritate and confuse prospective buyers. If you really think your house need to be on craigslist several times a day, talk it over with your agent, and be sure to advertise in the right category. The best course of action is to let your agent do his job. You are paying him a lot of money to market your home, so back off and let him do it.

For more information about selling your Phillips Ranch Real Estate, and for current homes for sale, foreclosures, property values, and more, please visit the Phillips Ranch Real Estate information website at Phillips Ranch Real Estate. And you can always contact me, Brett Ehart, with all of your real estate or mortgage questions. Call (909) 868-1955 or email Brett@bkEstates.com.

Ready To List With A Phillips Ranch Real Estate Agent? 13 Things Your Agent Must Do To Maximize Your Profits!

05-12-11
Brett Ehart
Brett Ehart: Real Estate Agent in Corona, CA

Ready To List With A Phillips Ranch Real Estate Agent? 13 Things Your Agent Must Do To Maximize Your Profits!

Ready to place your home on the Phillips Ranch real estate market? Do you understand the process and details of selling a home?

Before you list with a real estate agent in Phillips Ranch, educate yourself on all the factors that will affect your profit. Be as informed as possible so you can make the absolutely best possible business decisions. After all, the sale of your home is a business decision!

Most of us are not tuned into the trends and fluctuations of the Phillips Ranch real estate market. Likewise, we are not aware of the necessary steps to maximize profits on the sale of our home.

This is where Phillips Ranch real estate agents like myself come into play. Typically, we rely heavily upon an agent to lead us down the most profitable path. Considering our home is usually the most valuable asset we own, doesn’t it make sense to list with someone who will maximize our profits? But how do we find that agent in Phillips Ranch?

This report is designed to empower you with critical information necessary to evaluate an agent’s qualifications and help you identify the professional top producer. The more meticulous you become in selecting the right Phillips Ranch Realtor, the higher your profits will be!

Start by doing some research. Find out who the most active agents are in the Phillips Ranch real estate market. Look at advertising to see how professional it is. Ask friends and family.

Drive around the neighborhood looking for yard signs. Then compile a list of agents.

The Phone Interview- Place a call to each of the real estate agents in Phillips Ranch on your list. Do an initial ‘feel out’ interview over the phone so when you meet you will both be prepared.

Request a Complete Plan- From title to escrow, request a complete plan as to the services they can provide for you.

Evaluate Their Team- Top producers will have established relationships with lenders, title reps, inspectors, everything. They are there for your benefit and if they are ill prepared to handle all the steps, you are being short changed.

Insist on A Written Marketing Plan-To sell a home in today’s Phillips Ranch real estate market, it takes more than putting a sign in the yard, a lock box on the door and agent tour on Tuesday.

A true professional knows exactly what he or she has to do to get a home sold and will be willing to show you in writing. There should be 17 to 20 different strategies in their marketing plan.

Look for innovative ways to attract home buyers to your Phillips Ranch home. Demand 24-hour advertising, lead accountability and tracking services. These services exist and you should insist upon them.

Alternative Report- Request a complete report of alternatives to the home sale. What forms of financing are available other than conventional financing if needed. Often sellers are not willing or able to do alternate financing, however you should know all of your options.

Insist on Pre-qualification- Even though this is not always controllable when another agent is involved, it is imperative to never take your house off of the Phillips Ranch real estate market unless you know the status of the potential buyer.

A Net Sheet- Request a complete net sheet, minus commissions and fees, showing your exact proceeds when you list your property.

Accessibility-How easy is it to get in touch with the potential agent? Document how quickly they returned your call. Remember: they will be returning calls to your prospective Phillips Ranch home buyers. Ask what their call return policy to a buyer is, not only personally but their staff as well.

Internet Presence-What search engine ranking does that agent have? Do they have a plan on following up with the potential buyer leads that are generated from their online efforts?

Direct Mail- Investigate the agent’s capacity to send direct mail. How often do prospects receive mail? Is it professional? Does the mail piece motivate prospects to respond?

Honest Feedback After Each Showing- There is nothing more disappointing than having a showing and getting your hopes up for a sale, and then never hearing what the buyers thought.

Negotiation Strategy- Have a written, well-conceived negotiation strategy. The old adage, “You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate” rings true in Phillips Ranch real estate. Insist on a sound negotiation strategy before you entertain buyers.

A Written Guarantee-All industries offer guarantees on their service or product, except real estate. If a real estate agent is confident in his or her service, they should be willing to guarantee the sale of your Phillips Ranch home in writing.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Phillips Ranch real estate. For complete information about the Phillips Ranch real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Phillips Ranch Real Estate at Phillips Ranch Real Estate. Also, please feel free to contact me, Brett Ehart, with any of your real estate or mortgage questions. Call me on my cell at (909) 868-1955 or email me at Brett@bkEstates.com.

Mortgage Interest Rates vs APR for Phillips Ranch Real Estate Buyers

05-06-11
Brett Ehart
Brett Ehart: Real Estate Agent in Corona, CA
Mortgage Interest Rates vs APR for Phillips Ranch Real Estate Buyers

One of the most confusing issues for Phillips Ranch home buyers is the difference between the interest rate they were quoted when they applied for a loan, and the APR (annual percentage rate) that is shown on the Truth in Lending form or the Good Faith Estimate, which is disclosed to the buyer before the loan is actually funded.

I have had many customers who, in the last stages of buying their home in Phillips Ranch, call to complain that the lender quoted them 5.25%, but the APR on their disclosures is 5.625%. What is going on, they want to know. Is the loan officer pulling a fast one?

The answer is no, the loan officer is not lining his pockets at the last minute because he thinks you will not pull out of the Phillips Ranch real estate purchase. The APR is a figure which is required to be disclosed by government standards. It includes other fees which a buyer has to pay in order to get the loan. These fees include mortgage origination fees, points to buy down the interest rate, and loan processing fees. Altogether, they are known as up-front fees. The higher the up-front fees, the higher the APR.

So when you see that the APR on your Good Faith Estimate is higher than the interest rate you were quoted, keep in mind that the APR includes not only the interest rate, but other fees as well. That is why it is higher. You are still getting the same rate you were quoted.

For more information about the Phillips Ranch Real Estate Market, including current Phillips Ranch Homes for Sale, Phillips Ranch Foreclosures, and more, please visit the Phillips Ranch real estate information website at Phillips Ranch Real Estate. And you can always contact me, Brett Ehart, with any of your real estate or mortgage questions. Call (909) 868-1955, or email Brett@bkEstates.com.

Phillips Ranch Real Estate Agent [Profile.full_name] Discusses the Perks of Having a Home Warranty

04-27-11
Brett Ehart
Brett Ehart: Real Estate Agent in Corona, CA

Phillips Ranch Real Estate Agent Brett Ehart Discusses the Perks of Having a Home Warranty

When you own a home you can expect, sooner or later, that things will start going wrong. It’s not necessarily the result of buying a “lemon”: it just means that, like people, parts start wearing out as they age. According to Phillips Ranch REALTOR Brett Ehart, having a home warranty in place may help ease the burden when they do.

A home warranty is the same as any other warranty you may purchase. When you buy an extended warranty on a TV you are in essence buying protection in case something major goes wrong with it. That is the same with the home version. It covers major components of the Phillips Ranch home, such as heating and air, roof, etc., for a period of one year from the date of closing. After that time, it can be renewed in one year increments for as long as you like.

There are many different companies that offer these protection programs in Phillips Ranch and they are basically the same in structure. Each company may have different guidelines for what they cover and to what extent, but as a whole they are common in characteristics. The plans are paid for in advance and have fees associated with exercising your option to file a claim for coverage. These fees are generally low and each one is based on the applicable item that it covers. Paying the fee in addition to the plan itself may seem unreasonable, but if you ever have to file a claim you will see that you are still saving a substantial amount of money versus not having coverage.

For instance, if the air conditioning unit in your house in Phillips Ranch goes out you may be required to pay a fee for sending out a repairman. This fee may be in the range of $50-150. At first, you may think this is absurd until you see that the total bill for the unit could easily be $2000. Now you can see your savings.

These plans are not in any way related to homeowners insurance. Just like car insurance, insuring your home is mandatory. A home warranty is a separate form of insurance, but one that you may want to consider, especially if you purchase an older home in Phillips Ranch.

For more information on buying or selling Phillips Ranch real estate, including current homes for sale, foreclosures, property values, and more, please visit my website at Phillips Ranch Real Estate or give me a call directly at (909) 868-1955.