Diana Gomez - First Team Real Estate

I was very impressed with the entire event, not to mention the food was delicious! The new Mayor, Tom Tait was very honest in letting us know that the city is facing a 10 billion dollar structural deficit. Our general fund reserves are getting close to being depleted, mainly because the city is having a hard time keeping up with the pension payouts. Currently Anaheim has about a 12.5% unemployment rate.

On a brighter and more hopeful note, the mayorhe mayor plans to bring in new jobs to the city by making it the most business friendly city in the state. I also learned that the Anaheim Ballet has a podcast with more than 30 million viewers! They are definitely a must see!  Their performance during the event was spectacular. 



And lastly, Mayor Tait is looking to re-launch the "Hi Neighbor" program!

The main goals of this program are to:

1. Help prevent crime in our Anaheim neighborhoods

2. Help our communities prepare for a disaster

3. Promote community building

I am excited to see what the new Mayor has in store for us.

Attention all short sellers!!! Make sure the person or people buying your home DO NOT HAVE the same last name, especially if they are obtaining an FHA loan!!!

Likewise, if you are a buyer purchasing a short sale with an FHA loan, make sure you don't have the same last name as the seller!

The reason being is that unfortunately, with FHA loans, HUD grants insurance after you have closed escrow and if they feel the loan was fraudulent then they will not insure it, causing the new owner to have to sell or pay back the full amount of the loan immediately. If the buyer and seller have the same last name, then HUD may feel they are related thus making it a fraudulent transaction because short sales may not be sold to family.

We were recently in escrow and it turns out that the current seller purchased the home three months ago and now has to sell it because they obtained an FHA loan, they have the same last name as the previous buyer and now that escrow has closed, HUD will not insure their loan!

Just something to be aware of!

Total Current Available Listings On The Market as of today: 60

Of Available Listings, How Many Detached Homes: 47

Of Detached Homes, How Many 4 Bedrooms: 28

Of 4 Bedrooms, How Many Have 2000+ Living Sq Ft: 11

Of These 11 Homes, The Top 2 Hot Buys Are:

1. 2609 E. Diana Pl.: 6 Bedrooms, 3 Bath, 2,224 Sq Ft, 10,500 Sq Ft Lot, Single Level, 2 Car Garage Listed at $399,000. Ranch Style home with newer roof

2. 2421 E. Paradise St.: 4 Bedrooms, 4 Baths, 2,100 Sq, Ft, 6,000 Sq Ft Lot, Upgraded Kitchen and Bathrooms

Contact me for more details, pictures or to schedule a showing!

This might sound crazy to some of you or you might be thinking that people don't want to move during the holidays so it's pointless. Here are 10 great reasons why you should list your home during the holidays...

1. People who look for homes during the holidays are more serious buyers. The reason they are probably looking is because they have to move.

2. Usually there are less homes listed for sale during the holidays so the buyer's have fewer homes to choose from meaning less competition for your home. There are fewer homes for sale because most people have that mentality that homes don't sell during the holidays. Listing it for sale now is definitely thinking outside the box.

3. Homes show better when decorated during the holidays. It gives buyer's that warm and fuzzy feeling which is what you want when buyer's see your home.

4. Home buyer's are more emotional during the holidays. The giving spirit seems to bring this out of everyone.

5. Homebuyer's have more time to look for a home during the holidays. Many of them have extra days off during this time.

6. Many home buyer's want to buy before the end of the year for tax reasons. The write offs come in handy right about now.

7. We help many large corporations relocate their employees prior to the beginning of the year.

8. You may still restrict showings during your your personal family events.

9. You can sell now, but specify a delayed closing or extend occupancy until early next year if you desire.

10. By selling now, you have the opportunity to buy during the spring when many houses are on the market.

So all in all, if you are thinking about selling, jump in now that the time is right! Happy Holidays!

It has been brought to my attention that there is a new fraudulent scam out in which individuals are seeking out distressed homeowners and taking advantage of such a difficult time. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the latest foreclosure rescue scam to exploit financially strapped homeowners pitches forensic mortgage loan audits. These individuals are calling themselves forensic loan auditors, mortgage loan auditors, or foreclosure prevention auditors and they are saying they are backed by forensic attorney's. They offer to review your mortgage loan documents to determine whether your lender complied with state or mortgage lending laws. In exchange for their services, they are asking for hundreds of dollars. These so called "auditors" claim that their findings can help you avoid foreclosure, accelerate the loan modification process, reduce your loan principal or even cancel your loan.

According to the FTC and its law enforcement partners:

• there is no evidence that forensic loan audits will help you get a loan modification or any other foreclosure relief, even if they're conducted by a licensed, legitimate and trained auditor, mortgage professional or lawyer.
• some federal laws allow you to sue your lender based on errors in your loan documents. But even if you sue and win, your lender is not required to modify your loan simply to make your payments more affordable.
• if you cancel your loan, you will have to return the borrowed money, which may result in you losing your home.

Don't be an easy target for these predators.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when seeking foreclosure prevention help:

* No one can guarantee to stop the foreclosure process, no matter who it is. Not even your lender will guarantee they can stop the foreclosure process. Do seek help immediately so that you have more options and don't wait until the last minute which increases your chances of foreclosure.

* Be careful if they tell you not to contact your lender, lawyer or credit counseling. Quite the opposite, YES, you should definitely be contacting your lender yourself to get updates on how the process is going and you can ask when was the last time the person helping you called. Remember, no one cares more about your situation then you.

*Avoid companies that collect a fee before providing you with any service. Laws have recently been put in place stating this.

* You should not make your mortgage payment to anyone except your lender

*Be careful not to transfer your property deed or title. Make sure to read every document you sign, especially those that have to be notarized.

* Be careful if someone offers to buy your home cash and the offer price is too low, way below market value.

Make sure to report any fraudulent activies to:

Federal Trade Commission -www.ftc.gov

Your state Attorney General - www.naag.org

Your local Better Business Bureau - www.bbb.org

Have someone you trust on your side. It can be very difficult to see things clearly in stressful situations so it helps to have someone else review everything with you. You are not alone. There are thousands of people going through the same exact thing. And when in doubt, call your lender directly.