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Tammie Turner, B. A., Business

Before You Buy a Foreclosed Property...

There are several things to be aware of when purchasing a foreclosed home from the lender. You need to be prepared as the process is quite different than purchasing from an individual.

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•1. There will be no sellers disclosure. Most of the time, the bank/lender has never even seen the home. Therefore, they know nothing about the condition, age of home, past repairs, etc.

•2. You are purchasing the home "as is." The seller will not make any repairs. Consequently, it is a good idea to have an inspection or thoroughly check the home over if you are experienced in home repair.

•3. The seller will not accept any offers contingent upon the sale of your home.

•4. You will need to have been pre-approved by a lender or provide a letter from a financial institution stating that you have adequate funds to purchase the home in order to submit an offer.

•5. The seller will usually not accommodate a change in the closing date and often you will be charged if you are unable to close on time.

•6. Don't expect a quick response to your offer. It often takes 2 or 3 business days or more for the seller to answer.

•7. Sometimes, property sales may have a deed restriction requiring that the property cannot be sold for more than a certain amount in a stated time frame.

•8. Expect a lot of paperwork. In addition to the regular real estate contract, the seller will probably require their own separate contract be signed.

The purchase of a foreclosed property can intimidating, but an experienced Realtor can help you through the process. Hopefully, reading the items listed above will help to avoid surprises during the transaction.

Tammie Turner, Tri-Lakes Realtors Visit My Web Site

Bank-Owned Properties in the Branson Area

We are fortunate in the Branson/Tri-Lakes area in that we haven't experienced the same conditions in our real estate market as in many parts of the United States. In fact, the average selling price of single family homes has continued to increase through 2008.

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However, there are bank-owned, foreclosure properties currently listed. Through our Multiple Listing Service a list of these homes can be generated. To obtain a list, contact me either by phone at 417-337-4422 or by email. I can also guide you regarding the market value of the property verses the list price on any home that interests you.

When is the best time of the Year to Sell My Home?

One consistent question heard by Realtors across the country is when should I list my property?

Of course, the answer depends in what part of the country your home is located. For example, Florida's high selling months are probably different than the best time to sell in Missouri. One thing to always remember is that real estate data is local.

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In the Tri-Lakes area of Missouri, analysis of the sale of properties for the past five years revealed that the months with the highest amount of closed transactions were May through August. The two months with the most sales were June and August, followed by May, then July. The month that was often ranked the second highest sales month was July.

It will probably come as no surprise that January and February had the least amount of closings. January has typically been the time that most Realtors schedule a vacation, at least in our area.

Keep in mind that the months listed were for closings, not the date the properties went under contract. It usually takes around thirty days to close a transaction; but, it can be longer, depending on the circumstances of the sale. Therefore, if you want to sell your home; don't wait until May to list it. March would be a better time to catch the first wave of springtime buyers.

On the flip side, the slowest time as far as showings and properties going under contract isn't January and February, it's November and December. Again, you have to account for the time between when the buyer and seller come to a written agreement and the time that the property actually changes hands.

There's no "magic" time to put your property on the market. It often comes down to chance, the right buyer happens along at the right time. However, those chances do improve when the most buyers are looking, which is March through August.

Traffic to Improve in Forsyth

The Missouri Department of Transportation recently approved funding for a project to relieve traffic congestion in Forsyth at the intersection of Highway 160 and Coy Boulevard.

The intersection will be widened about 12 feet and a turn lane will be added. The turn lane will allow traffic to proceed instead of lining up behind a motorist making a left hand turn.

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The project may start in Spring 2009, depending on when bids are let. If started in the spring, completion is expected to be in the fall.

Let's Talk Trash

Recycling trash, that is. Why should you recycle?

Well...read the following and seriously consider the implications.

An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now.

If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.

Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic beverage bottles every hour.

The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.

A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year.

The above statistics along with many others are from http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html

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If reading this information has convinced you to start recycling, but you don't know where to start, then read on. Branson has a recycling center, located on Compton Drive, which is open six days a week. They accept cardboard, newspaper, magazines, mixed paper, glass, steel cans, aluminum cans, plastic, motor oil, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, and soft plastics.

If you're willing to sort your recycleables when you make your drop off, you don't have to pre-sort them. More information can be obtained from the Branson Recycling Center by calling 417-334-5277. You can also visit their web site: Branson Recycling Center

Still not convinced that one person can make much of a difference? Then think about one last fact from Recycling-Revolution.com:

The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year.