Jamie Roe

Welcome to 20210 Mammoth Falls in Tomball Texas! If curb appeal lures you in, you won't be disappointed! From the moment you step inside you'll want to call this beautiful home YOURS! The Dramatic 2-story Formal Dining & Living Rooms are the perfect place to entertain, while the handsome Den invites you to sit back & relax. The Eat-in Kitchen also opens to the Den so the cook in the house won't feel left out! Upstairs you'll find the Mstr BR & Bath plus 2 other BR's & a Gameroom. Don't miss the screened porch.

4 bedroom, 2 bathrooms.......$144,900!

Livingroom Kitchen

Master bedroom Master bathroom

Porch Yard

If you have any questions or have talked to at lender and would like to view this home. Please e-mail me jamierroe@yahoo.com or call me 832-341-3500!

Thanks Jamie, Joann Broughton team! www.joannbroughton.com

My tip for the week is regarding pre-foreclosure work outs. Many of the servicing lenders are offering "forbearance" on their loans to borrowers that are in trouble. No one wants a foreclosure so if one of your customers calls and says they are in trouble- have them contact their lender IMMEDIATELY and ask to speak to someone about forbearance. If the homeowner can show reasons for their delinquency (laid off from work, medical or some cause that is not permanent) the lender may consider waiving their payment for a few months and adding them to the end of the loan. This gives the home owner time to find another job, recover from their illness or whatever needs to be done to get them back on track. A representative from FNMA was the speaker a couple of weeks ago at a seminar I attended and she stated they have seen this happen numerous times over the last few months and it has saved homes. If the homeowner has a government loan (FHA or VA) and the servicing lender is not cooperative, the homeowner should contact FHA or VA directly and see if they can get help that way. Both agencies have counselors and can sometimes work out a solution with the lender. Just remaining silent or quietly giving up their homes is not the answer. If they can show good cause, most of the lenders are willing to work with them. You may have to step in and help them get to the right person, but that will just make you their hero.

jamierroe@yahoocom

Never Been Leased Before. Owners hate to leave their home but will entrust it a responsible tenant. Great Open Floorplan huge Island Kitchen that includes wine refrig., icemaker, top of the line range. Wood Floors in most rooms. This home has space for everyone: study, gameroom and children's retreat! Tomball School District and a GREAT location, just off 249! Must have good rental history, no smokers, pets on a case by case basis.

If you have any questions please call @ 832-341-3500 or shoot me an e-mail jamierroe@yahoo.com!!

Buying a new home: Tips for the 1st time homebuyer

The awesome truth! One of my friends wrote this and i think it is great even though i an a realtor sometimes it needs to be looked at from the other side!

The TAX CREDIT FOR FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS has fueled many of us into a quest for home ownership. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 increased to up to $8,000 the tax credit for first time homebuyers. Penny by penny, this tax credit is given to tax payers who meet the IRS requirements for First-Time Homebuyers. Homebuyers who want to take advantage of this tax credit are hurrying to purchase their "first" home before December 1st, the tax credit deadline.

At this point everybody interested in buying their "First Home" is scrambling to get a realtor who is knowledgeable, a lender who is trustworthy, is gathering enough money for their down payment, and is looking for a house they can call home.

I am one of those thousands of people jumping through the hurdles of home ownership to get our dreams fulfilled. Most of us aspiring home-owners do not have the experience to face this rather DAUNTING task. I was not prepared for everything I had to go through. No matter how much you try to manage, purchasing a home is not an easy process. At least it was not for me.

My rather challenging experience with this particular subject has deemed me qualified to talk about this subject. My goal with this blog is to help those who are still trying to find the light in this dark tunnel called "home ownership." You are going to face a very stressful time for sure, so just get ready for the rollercoaster.

The recommendations I am about to make here are simple steps that may make your life less difficult when purchasing your new home. These recommendations may not be applicable to all situations, but should increase your understanding of this process:

LOOK FOR A GOOD LENDER: Having a good lender is the first step towards success in this process. A lender should be informative, answer all your questions, and be accessible when you need them. I talk to my lender almost on a daily basis, sometimes even up to five times a day. You are going to want someone who is reliable. The internet is nowadays the most accessible source of information. But it is also the gateway for many scams. Be careful and choose wisely. LendingTree.com and Ditech.com are just a couple of good places to start. LendingTree in particular is a site that quotes an array of mortgage companies (or brokers) for you. But do not stop there. Drive to your closest bank or credit unit, talk to people and ask for recommendations on lenders. Gather four or five GOOD FAITH ESTIMATES (GFE) and compare them. Different lenders have different fees, and they may not even match from GFE to GFE. But by comparing them, you will make sure you get the best deal possible. See blog on "Understanding GOOD FAITH ESTIMATES" for more information.

CHECK YOUR CREDIT SCORES PRIOR TO CONTACTING LENDERS: All lenders are going to ask what you think your credit score is. Getting financing should not be a concern to you. No matter how good or bad your credit score is you could find financial institutions that are willing to lend you money to buy a house. However, do not let lenders pull your credit unless you are sure you are going to go with them. Allowing a lender to check your credit could hurt your credit score and affect you in a negative way, if that lender is not the one you chose for your mortgage financing. I have had lenders tell me it does not matter if they pulled my credit. But in reality every time a lender pulls your credit, it is noted on your credit reports. When I was shopping for a lender, I allowed one bank to pull my credit because they had advised me it did not matter. Later in the process I decided to go with a different lender. To my surprise, I learned I had to justify to my lender why another lender had checked my credit history. My lender suspected I had obtained a small loan (maybe to make up for my down payment) and this concerned them a lot. I ended up clearing the situation, but it was a hassle trying to justify what had happened.

FIND A REALTOR THAT IS INTERESTED IN SELLING YOU THE HOME THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU: During this process I have dealt with multiple realtors. They all want to sell you houses, but not all of them have you in mind. It is important for you to trust the realtor you choose. They should also dedicate time to you, be informative, and listen to your requests. Before you choose a realtor, make sure you understand your "wants" and "needs." You will learn during this process you will have to sacrifice some of your "wants" because not all houses are made to our tastes. We, first-time homebuyers, tend to idealize what we like, and get disappointed because we cannot find exactly what fits that mold. Your realtor should help you work through your "wants", and show you what is really worth considering. On the other hand, realtors may make suggestions, but if their suggestions do not reflect your desires, they are not a good fit for you. Ask other homeowners for recommendations on realtors. Most likely, if someone is willing to recommend a realtor, it is because they had good experiences with that person. Listen up.

DO NOT MESS WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS: The worst mistake you could make when dealing with a mortgage lender or broker is to provide them with bank statements that had cash transactions in them, especially in large sums (over $200). Life could be complex sometimes, and we may have to make transactions in cash from time to time. It just happens (yes, I am Colombian, but I promise I have not done anything illegal). If you need to present your bank statements to your future lender, you got to prepare for it. Or said in a different way, prepare your bank account. How could you do that? First and foremost, do not transact large sums of money unless you must do it. If they are on your bank statement, your lender may ask what those were about. Second, always accept and write checks, and not cash. Cash transactions are a HUGE red flag for lenders, specially is you are applying for an FHA loan (mortgage backed by the federal government). Third, keep copies of your cashed checks and deposits. This could definitely save you time when the bank decides to inquire about your transactions.

INFORM YOURSELF: Seek to understand this process as much as you can. Although it is complicated to understand the lingo, fees, loan processing, quotes, etc, you will not fail if you educate yourself about what this process really represents for you and your future. Get multiple opinions from qualified people. This means asking lenders lots of questions, searching the internet for answers, talking to other homeowners, and even getting contractors to inspect the home you desire. Although this may be time consuming, you will see the benefits of this.

UNDERSTAND THE STRESS THAT COMES FROM THIS PROCESS: Buying a home is no easy task. Most of us with normal lives have a family and a job for which to be responsible. But there are going to be moments during this process in which you are going to feel burdened and those closest to you could be affected by the stress that come from buying a new home. There are going to be moments in which you feel there is no end to the amount of paperwork you need to get done, or that your bank is making your life miserable, or that they are digging too much into your private life. This process will become a stressor for you and those around you. You have to consciously make an effort to not let the stress take over you. I tell you it will consume you. Do things that have nothing to do with house purchasing. Get out of your house and take your mind off of it. Fighting with your loved ones will become too hard to manage if you do not make an effort to set aside the worries of a homebuyer. Thankfully this is a process that has an end date.

As I have explained, home buying is not easy, especially for those who do not have any experience with it. But with patience, education, and a bit of street-smarts you can succeed. Homeownership is a dream for many; it was certainly one for me. But it is a very important process that could demand a lot of you. Do not give up because at the end of the tunnel, you will have a brand new house in which to grow and feel accomplished.

If you have any questions please e-mail me at jamierroe@yahoo.com.

What's a MUD?

If you're thinking about buying property in Texas, particularly in the greater Houston area and other large metropolitan areas, sooner or later you'll hear the word MUD. A MUD (Municipal Utility District) is a special governmental entity created by the State of Texas whose main functions are to provide water and wastewater services and to maintain drainage facilities within its boundaries. A MUD may levy and collect taxes, issue bonds, charge for services, condemn property, enforce restrictive covenants and make regulations to accomplish its purposes. MUDs come in a variety of names - MUD, WCID (Water Control & Improvement District), WSD (Water Supply District), PUD (Public Utility District), etc. The list of acronyms is almost endless!

MUDs were created to allow unincorporated areas the financial and legal wherewithal to provide services to commercial and residential customers when comparable services are not readily available (or financially feasible) through municipal providers like the City of Houston. In the greater (unincorporated) Houston area, there are more than 600 MUDs, most of which provide services to one or two subdivisions/residential developments and the commercial properties immediately surrounding those developments.

As a Texas real-estate owner, your local MUD will affect your life in two ways - first, you'll get a bill from your MUD each month for your water and wastewater treatment services and drainage control services; and second, you'll receive a property tax bill from your MUD each year to pay for its bonded indebtedness and general maintenance and operating expenses.

Since your biggest tax burden in Texas comes in the form of property (ad valorem) taxes, your MUD tax rate can be a major or minor component of your overall property-tax burden. MUD tax rates can range from zero to $1.50 (or more) per $100 of your property's assessed value. An average MUD tax rate is probably in the $0.50 to $0.75 range. Putting it into real dollars - if your MUD tax is $0.75 and your property's assessed value is $150,000, then your annual MUD tax burden (before allowances for Homestead and/or other exemptions) would be $1,125. You'll have to check with each MUD as to what (if any) exemptions they allow.

As onerous as some of this may sound, just remember - if you live in an incorporated area where services are provided by the city, your monthly and annual burden for these services can and probably will be even higher!

for more info please call me at 832-341-3500 or e-mail me jamierroe@yahoo.com