Paul & Jerri Stracener

Local Real Estate Agent Earns Professional Designation to Help Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

Athens, GA - RE/MAX Associate Jerri Stracener, Associate Broker of RE/MAX Associates - Athens in, Athens, GA, has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation after completing extensive training designed to assist homeowners facing foreclosures and to help home buyers in purchasing a distressed property.

"Jerri's dedication in earning the CDPE designation demonstrates her willingness to not only help troubled homeowners in the Athens area, but it shows a commitment to help the community recover from this recession," said Faye Kemp, Broker. "Seasoned real estate agents like Jerri, and nearly 7,500 RE/MAX Associates who are already CDPE certified, know that specific training is essential in helping families buy and sell homes."

Athens has seen its fair share of foreclosures - over 200 were reported in August according to local newspaper foreclosure listings. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), more than 45 percent of U.S. existing home sales in the fourth quarter of 2008 were foreclosures and short sales. In a short sale transaction, a lender allows the homeowner to sell their property for less than the mortgage amount, to avoid the foreclosure process.

"In this market, more than ever before, home buyers and sellers appreciate working with a professional real estate agent who is qualified and trained to navigate through the short sale and foreclosure process," said Stracener, who has more than 15 years of experience in the real estate business. "I'm excited to use the knowledge gained through this course to help Athens families stay in their homes."

The Distressed Property Institute, based in Boca Raton, FL, offers the CDPE designation and was founded by dynamic real estate veteran Alex Charfen. In March, RE/MAX Chairman and Co-Founder, Dave Liniger, encouraged all real estate agents to obtain the CDPE designation. In less than sixty days, nearly 5,000 RE/MAX agents took the two-day course. There are more real estate agents from RE/MAX with the CDPE designation than from any other real estate company.

For more information on the Distressed Property Institute and CDPE, visit www.StopForeclosureAthens.com. To contact Jerri Stracener or to look for properties available in and around Athens, visit www.MovingToAthens.com .

Contact: Jerri Stracener, 706-296-4395 or jerri@movingtoathens.com

Square One, the new seafood restaurant next to the Classic Center in Athens, is having a Full Moon Party on Thursday August 6, starting at 6:00. It's a pig roast on the patio. There will be music and great food, I'm sure. Maybe we'll see you there...

TIME IS RUNNING OUT...

Don't miss the great opportunity to get money back when you purchase a home. The $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers ends on December 1. The sale must close prior to December 1, which means you should be "under contract" to purchase a home by October 15. The loan process could be completed faster than 6 weeks but just to be certain, it's best to plan ahead.

There are requirements that must be met to qualify. They include not owning a home for the past 3 years, maximum annual income of $95,000 ($170,000 for a couple), and the credit is 10% of the home purchase with a maximum of $8,000. Here is the IRS form with instructions -

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf

There is another tax credit available from the State of Georgia. This one is for $1,800, split over the next 3 years ($600 per year) and only applies to forclosed properties.

House Bill 261 gives a credit of either $1,800 or 1.2 percent of the purchase price, whichever is less. (You can only claim one-third of the credit each year, beginning with your 2009 Georgia tax return.) The purpose of the bill is to create a stimulus for home sales, and give a boost to the Georgia real estate market.

Here is how the Georgia Homebuyer Tax Credit applies to home purchases:

• Applies to single-family homes and condos if they are your primary residence
• The property must have been for sale prior to May 11, 2009 and must still be for sale
• The property must be in default on or before March 1, 2009
• The property has already been foreclosed on and is held by the bank or mortgage company

Homes purchased between June 1 and November 30, 2009 that meet the criteria will be eligible for the tax credit.

http://gov.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,78006749_139486062_140354876,00.html

For information on stopping foreclosure , check out our new website www.StopForeclosureAthens.com It is a site designed by the Distressed Property Institute to explain how to qualify for a loan modification, short sale or deed-in-lieu and other options that may be available to you.

I obtained the CDPE designation a couple of months ago and have been busy helping people buy and sell homes through short sales. If you are facing foreclosure, the advantages of working with an experienced agent will be evident right away. With the support of the Certified Distresses Property Expert course, we have the forms, systems and knowledge to process short sales efficiently.

Some banks are slower but we have gotten short sale approval in as little as 3 weeks. Check out the new webiste and let us know if you have questions. If you or someone you know needs help to avoid foreclosure, call us.