I tried but I didn't make it. I was on a roll for 30 days. Sure I dropped a lot of weight but I have hated this last week. I don't like diets at all. But I love to eat. I love to eat. Did I say that? And my wife Marianne loves to cook. She's Italian American and she loves to stuff me. Sometimes she brings me two plates of food for dinner.

Well last night my in-laws tempted me by inviting us out for dinner. But luckily we called too late. So my diet was saved. But today my diet died. Oh don't feel bad for me. I have lost enough weight. My clients that I was showing a house too own Italia Bakery in Dearborn. He brought me a box of cannolis. Once I saw them my diet was out the window.

Marianne made me a good dinner and I had a couple of cannolis. It was soo good.

If you want some great cannolis stop in Italia Bakery. These cannolis passed my wife who is 100% Italian American. And she doesn't pass many Italian foods because she knows Italian food inside and out.

Italia Bakery

5717 Schaefer Rd.,

Dearborn, MI, 48126

(313) 846-4600

Yes you are hearing that from me, I admit first time home buyers sometimes make me nervous. The reason is I don't ever want them to be surprised by something during the process. At the end of the home buying process I want them to like me.

I want them to know I treated them fairly and did the best I could do. Unfortunately during the first time time there are so many things the buyers don't know, or never have come across before. It's all new to them. I usually try to go over the home buying process at different times.

Like yesterday I was going over a purchase agreement with a Metro Detroit first time home buyer. It got me nervous. I went over it page by page explaining all the different points. Of course that brought up questions about inspections, costs, and closings. One answer opened up more questions and answers.

It made me realize how many things could be confused. How much there was to know? I want every buyer to feel comfortable. After all it is the biggest purchase that they are going to make.

There is just so much to know for a first time home buyer. So don't be afraid of asking your real estate agent questions.

If you don't understand....ask. We as agents have done this over and over. Like you at your job, you most likely know it forward and backwards. But if I came into your office and tried to do your job I wouldn't understand it. I would need to ask questions.

So feel free to ask me questions anytime!

Yes it has been a different day again. We have a deal under contract that is supposed to close soon. We finally got some out of state bank account paper work in. We have been waiting for it for a week. My clients parents where on vacation out of the country. They had given my client a large sum of money.

In today's banking world any large deposit into a buyers account has to be tracked. The bank will want to know where the money came from and why they gave it to the buyer. It's that simple. They will track it or you aren't going to get the loan.

So if you got $1000 or more deposited into your account be ready to show where it came from and why the they gave it to you. The bank has to get that information. Some of the reasons they want to know this information is

1. The bank wants to make sure you are not getting a loan to buy a property. You may not qualify with the extra payment to pay back the "loan"
2. The bank want to make sure you are not a straw buyer. A straw buyer is where you are buying the property for somebody else. Usually a straw buyer is committing fraud by getting around the banks regulations.
3. With short sales banks will not sell to family members. Some families are trying to buy their own home back at a cheaper price through another family member.

So if you are moving money into your bank account be sure to get written proof of where it came from and why you recieved it. The bank is going to want to know.

I hope this helps you prevent a problem with your mortgage transaction and your home purchase before it happens.

Russ Ravary your Metro Detroit real estate agent

Search the latest foreclosures listingsand get the latest listings emailed to you

I had a Metro Detroit first time homebuyer tell me today that he didn't look at any of the Metro HUD foreclosure home listings that were included in my email to him. He threw them out. I had to ask him why? He told me he thought HUD homes would be in the "hood". That a HUD home would be in the projects or in a bad area. An area full of HUD homes.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! That's not true. Most HUD homes that are for sale right now are FHA foreclosures. Most metro Detroit HUD homes are a home that the previous owner had a FHA mortgage. The previous owner didn't pay the mortgage and now it has become a HUD home listing.

You will find a HUD home in almost any neighborhood. You have to remember up to few years ago the FHA loan limits were low. So most FHA loans were under $150,000. So most HUD Foreclosures will be under the $150,000 range. There are many Metro Detroit HUD foreclosures that will be less than $50,000.

You can find HUD homes in Livonia, Dearborn, Plymouth, Redford to name a few of the many cities that have HUD foreclosures right now. So don't be afraid of looking at HUD foreclosures they are in the same neighborhoods. Metro Detroit HUD foreclosures are in the same condition as other foreclosures. Some are in decent shape, some are in poor condition.

Russ Ravary your metro Detroit real estate agent

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