Bob Brandt

Your REALTOR: Bob Brandt February 2009 "Here to serve you" Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved. www.realtytimes.com Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved. Real Estate Outlook: What's in Store for 2009? What will the new year bring for housing and real estate? It's easy to look at all the negative economic news in the headlines and say - there's no sign that 2009 is going to be any better than 2008. But here's a different perspective to consider from one of the country's veteran financial analysts -- Richard Bove of Ladenburg Thalmann, an investment banking company. In a research report issued late in December, Bove said he sees a positive dynamic taking shape in the current cycle. The government has intervened aggressively in the markets to push Mortgage Rates View current rates U.S. averages as of January 29, 2009: 30 yr. fixed: 5.10% 15 yr. fixed: 4.80% 1 yr. adj: 4.90% interest rates down -- most notably in the home mortgage sector. Though it takes awhile for low-cost money to begin having its effect, Bove said he expects "housing prices to stabilize and/or rise (in 2009) after a CONTINUED >>> Wondering What Your Home Is Worth? Contact me for any buying or selling real estate question. Buy Now And Beat The Spring Rush Down market. Up market. It doesn't matter. Spring showers typically bring spring buyers. But if you wait for the seasonal thaw you'll join what could be a throng of market savvy buyers who have already scoped the lay of the land and are elbowing for position. In many communities, an over-supply of homes for sale with reduced prices, foreclosures, auction sales and sellers shopping for short sale buyers, all make it an opportune time not to procrastinate. "We are seeing a confluence of events that contributes to the increase in the number of closed sales," said Quincy Virgilio, president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors in San Jose, CA. "Interest rates are at a record low and the affordability index nears a 5-year high. For first-time buyers, rents are skyrocketing and that's an added incentive to buy a home now," added Virgilio. CONTINUED >>> Is A Mortgage Modification For You? Home loan modifications are designed to save homeownership, but they've also created a new mortgage maze pitted with "buyer bewares." Both government-sanctioned counseling agencies and local community service agencies concede they have been swamped recently by demand for loan modifications. The demand stems from a proliferation of federal, state and local level foreclosure relief and bailout efforts from both government and the private lending industry. Mortgage modifications have been around for years, but those recent relief efforts have raised the profile of the mortgage workouts as an alternative to foreclosures, short sales, auctions, and bankruptcy. The demand has opened the floodgates of loan modification services now offered by real estate agents, mortgage brokers, attorneys, government agencies, lenders, and other professionals. No matter where they start, homeowners seeking mortgage modifications are at the mercy of lenders. The workouts are often voluntary and, completed on a case-by-case basis, they frequently come without standardized CONTINUED >>> To view homes for sale nationwide: click here Improve Value Through Landscaping A lot has been written about landscaping yards for curb appeal because buyers see the outside first when they drive up to a home. So it makes sense to make this area as attractive and inviting as possible. Doing that requires thinking about what would really make a property alluring. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars landscaping a home when you're about ready to put your home on the market. Instead, investing a few hundred dollars could make a huge difference to a buyer. In fact, curb appeal can be the sole reason prospective buyers ever end up entering a home. That's why listing agents will often give their sellers tips to help them fix up their homes. Here are a few things you can do. CONTINUED >>> Daily News and Advice Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday. More Articles January Round Up: Rates Hold Steady Clutter-Free Helps Sell Homes Good Time To Buy A Vacation Home Repairs That Help Sell Your Home Bob Brandt, Broker-Associate,ABR E-mail: BRANDT1@AMERITECH.NET Web: http://www.realtybob.com RE/MAX Suburban 847 985-7050 2311 West Schaumburg Road Schaumburg, IL 60194 Equal Housing Opportunity

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Your REALTOR: Bob Brandt February 2009 "Here to serve you" Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved. WWW.REALTYTIMES.COM Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved. Buy Now And Beat The Spring Rush Down market. Up market. It doesn't matter. Spring showers typically bring spring buyers. But if you wait for the seasonal thaw you'll join what could be a throng of market savvy buyers who have already scoped the lay of the land and are elbowing for position. In many communities, an over-supply of homes for sale with reduced prices, foreclosures, auction sales and sellers shopping for short sale buyers, all make it an opportune time not to procrastinate. "We are seeing a confluence of events that contributes to the increase in the number of closed sales," said Quincy Virgilio, president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors in San Jose, CA. "Interest rates are at a record low and the affordability index nears a 5-year high. For first-time buyers, rents are skyrocketing and that's an added incentive to buy a home now," added Virgilio. That doesn't mean every home is a Blue Light Special or that you can shop with reckless abandon. It's a better idea to prepare now, become a savvy buyer and beat the spring rush. To help get you started we've gleaned some key tips from "Buying Your First Home Now" (Nolo.com, $24.99), by Ilona Bray, Alayna Schroeder, Marcia Stewart and a dozen contributing experts knowledgeable in everything from credit, borrowing and buying to escrow, insurance and taxes. Check your home-buying pulse. Just because there's a convergence of favorable market conditions doesn't mean it's your time to buy. Base your decision solely on the state of your housing market and you'll overlook why the current market is littered with the former homes of those who borrowed more than they could afford. Likewise, if you wait for prices to fall more your could miss out. No one knows when the market will hit bottom until it begins a sustained upward turn and you can look back and actually see bottom. Buy a home because, for you, it's the right thing to do. Buy because it's more affordable than renting, because you plan on staying put until it pays off, buy because it is a good fit for your lifestyle and your personal goals. Learn your local market. While you certainly need to be up on the most recent housing news, get news from your local media outlets, your real estate agent and data providers that regularly generate information about your community. Get some basic training. Even if you've purchased before, bone up now. Regulations, local practices and market conditions change. Use well-established, frequently-updated information sources on and off line. Attend real estate industry-sponsored seminars, workshops, counseling sessions and post-secondary level realty classes. Examine your credit. Pull your credit report and check your credit score before your lender does. You need to make sure both are where they need to be to land you a home loan. AnnualCreditReport.com (also at 877-322-8228) is the one and only official, federally sanctioned program giving you free annual access to your credit report. The nominal fee to obtain your credit score from one of the three credit reporting agencies is worth the cost. Shop with money in your pocket. Get a mortgage approved before you begin to shop for a home. You need to know how much you can afford and how much home you can buy so you can negotiate from a position of strength. Shop around for the best mortgage possible. Buy like a savvy investor. Buy low now, sell high later. Shop in the least expensive neighborhood in the best community or the least expensive city in the region. Drill down to buy the least expensive home on the best block or the cheapest home in a neighborhood in transition. Your Agent. Use your real estate agent as your point person, tell friends, family and co-workers you are in the market. For the immediate future, look for distressed properties to continue flooding the low-performing markets, which will keep sales high but hurt property values. In the more stable markets, the upper end will continue to cool, but record-low interest rates should keep demand relatively strong for well-positioned mid-value properties. Written by Broderick Perkins Wondering What Your Home Is Worth? -- Contact me for any buying or selling real estate question. - Back - Bob Brandt, Broker-Associate,ABR E-mail: BRANDT1@AMERITECH.NET Web: http://www.realtybob.com RE/MAX Suburban 847 985-7050 2311 West Schaumburg Road Schaumburg, IL 60194 Equal Housing Opportunity

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	Your REALTOR: Bob Brandt February 2009 "Here to serve you" Copyright © 2009 Realty Times www.realtytimes.com All Rights Reserved. Real Estate Outlook: What's in Store for 2009? What will the new year bring for housing and real estate? It's easy to look at all the negative economic news in the headlines and say - there's no sign that 2009 is going to be any better than 2008. But here's a different perspective to consider from one of the country's veteran financial analysts -- Richard Bove of Ladenburg Thalmann, an investment banking company. In a research report issued late in December, Bove said he sees a positive dynamic taking shape in the current cycle. The government has intervened aggressively in the markets to push interest rates down -- most notably in the home mortgage sector. Though it takes awhile for low-cost money to begin having its effect, Bove said he expects "housing prices to stabilize and/or rise (in 2009) after a likely boom in mortgage refinancings as rates fall and loan applications increase." Add in the expected massive economic stimulus package being put together on Capitol Hill with the incoming Obama administration -- and there's a good chance we're going to see a gradual transformation of the downward cycle into a slow rebound over the coming several quarters. Already there are positive signs of the turnaround Bove predicts: Mortgage applications are off the charts, mainly for refis but also to buy houses at affordable prices. Rates continue to hover at 50-year lows - five percent and even four and three quarters percent for 30-year mortgages, and still lower for 15 and 20 year mortgage terms. Plus we're all paying a lot less at the gas pump, and sharply discounted prices for retail goods and autos. And guess what? Americans are actually SAVING again, the national savings rate took a nearly three percent jump last month. That might sound small, but it's hugely important if it is the start of a trend. There are also some signs that housing prices are stabilizing in some parts of the country. The latest monthly Federal Housing Finance Agency index found home prices UP by six-tenths of a percent in the Mountain states and UP by two tenths of a percent in New England. You can ridicule small regional gains as statistically irrelevant, but here's an economic proposal to you for the New Year: Keep your eyes open for the small positive signs that are accumulating out there ... because all downcycles tail off and come to an end. The smartest players in real estate -- consumers and the industry - will make the most of the positives -- low-cost money, low prices, stabilizing local markets -- and thrive in the new year. Written by Kenneth R. Harney Wondering What Your Home Is Worth? -- Contact me for any buying or selling real estate question. - Back - Bob Brandt, Broker-Associate,ABR E-mail: BRANDT1@AMERITECH.NET Web: http://www.realtybob.com RE/MAX Suburban 847 985-7050 2311 West Schaumburg Road Schaumburg, IL 60194 Equal Housing Opportunity

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Free First-Time Homebuyers Seminar

You paid someone else's mortgage payment again last month (your landlord's)! Start down the road to financial freedom today! Register today for our First-Time Homebuyers Seminar on January 20, 2009 at the Schaumburg CRC (Community Rec Center, 505 Springinsguth Rd, Schaumburg, IL) from 6pm to 8pm. This seminar is a joint event by RE/MAX Suburban and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. RE/MAX Suburban has been in business for over 30 years, has seven offices and has sold over 1 Billion Dollars in real estate for five consecutive years. All of our agents are full-time professionals. They outsell all of their competition every year. Two of our offices are located in Schaumburg. Wells Fargo was just ranked as one of the 10 safest banks in the world! They were the only United States bank included in the list! They have mortgage money available waiting for you to put it to use!

This seminar will cover the following topics:

1. Why now is a great time to buy!

2. How to get involved with foreclosures, short sales and otherwise take advantage of this market!

3. Learn what mortgage products are still available and how little money you need down.

4. Learn what the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit is and how to use it for your down-payment!

5. Learn how to fix or repair your credit, raise your credit score and qualify for a mortgage and obtain a free copy of your credit report.

6. Learn from one of the best real estate attorneys in the area how the buying process works from beginning to end.

Come to this seminar whether you are thinking of buying now or sometime in the future. If you so desire, we will have Home Mortgage Consultants on hand to pre-qualify or even pre-approve you for a mortgage. We will also have the top real estate agents available to speak with and answer your questions along with a real estate attorney, a title company, and a home inspector! We will show you how to start paying your own mortgage payment, save money on taxes, and start down the road to financial freedom. Register today, space is limited! Register by calling me.

Free First-Time Homebuyers Seminar

You paid someone else's mortgage payment again last month (your landlord's)! Start down the road to financial freedom today! Register today for our First-Time Homebuyers Seminar on January 20, 2009 at the Schaumburg CRC (Community Rec Center, 505 Springinsguth Rd, Schaumburg, IL) from 6pm to 8pm. This seminar is a joint event by RE/MAX Suburban and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. RE/MAX Suburban has been in business for over 30 years, has seven offices and has sold over 1 Billion Dollars in real estate for five consecutive years. All of our agents are full-time professionals. They outsell all of their competition every year. Two of our offices are located in Schaumburg. Wells Fargo was just ranked as one of the 10 safest banks in the world! They were the only United States bank included in the list! They have mortgage money available waiting for you to put it to use!

This seminar will cover the following topics:

1. Why now is a great time to buy!

2. How to get involved with foreclosures, short sales and otherwise take advantage of this market!

3. Learn what mortgage products are still available and how little money you need down.

4. Learn what the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit is and how to use it for your down-payment!

5. Learn how to fix or repair your credit, raise your credit score and qualify for a mortgage and obtain a free copy of your credit report.

6. Learn from one of the best real estate attorneys in the area how the buying process works from beginning to end.

Come to this seminar whether you are thinking of buying now or sometime in the future. If you so desire, we will have Home Mortgage Consultants on hand to pre-qualify or even pre-approve you for a mortgage. We will also have the top real estate agents available to speak with and answer your questions along with a real estate attorney, a title company, and a home inspector! We will show you how to start paying your own mortgage payment, save money on taxes, and start down the road to financial freedom. Register today, space is limited! Register by calling me.