Jim Whittaker

Maryland 1st Time Home Buyers Time Is Running OUT!

Benefit from the Home Buyer Tax Credit

Start Your Search At

Search The MLS FREE

Beat The Deadline!

Almost New Two Story Offers Wooded Tranquility $389,900.00  3808A Longley Road, Abingdon, MD 21009 34 Photos 4 Bed, 3.5 Bath Tour # 2110973   Great Property Woodeded Forest Conservation End of Private Shared Drive in Water Oriented Community Surrounded by Abundant Wildlife. 2 Story Built in 2007 4BR 3.5BA Fully Finished Lower Level Potential In-Law. Upgrades Incl. Sunroom w/Vaulted Ceiling, Ceramic Floors, Zoned Gas Heat & CAC, Corian Counters Two Story Foyer and Gas Fireplace. Minutes to I95, APG, Baltimore & Bel Air. Must Experience..... For more information, please contact: Jim Whittaker Keller Williams American Premier Realty 443-512-0090 410-688-1595 Cell 443-787-0272 Fax Information supplied by sellers. Deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

Maryland home short sale Harford County Realtor Baltimore Specialist. First we need to understand what a MD short sale is. The wikipedia definition "A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan.[1] It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the current debtor. Both parties consent to the short sale process, because it allows them to avoid foreclosure, which involves hefty fees for the bank and poorer credit report outcomes for the borrower." A very important point not mentioned in this explanation , you do need to be behind in your mortgage or in foreclosure to be considered for a short sale. For example, you are making your payments on time, everything is good, all of the sudden a mandatory job or military transfer or you lose your job and you need to move to another area to find new employment and your home is now worth less than you owe and you do not have a way to make up the difference. This is one example, but there are many others. The main point is, if you have a hardship and your home sale will not bring enough to pay the mortgage liens in full, you may qualify. All lenders are different, please consult your mortgage company for their specific qualifications and forms. The most basic thing to understand about the Maryland short sale process is this, you are selling your home and a buyer is buying your home. That process is the same as it would be in a normal sale with one exception to the contract and that is you need third party approval to complete the sale (go to closing). So what does that mean, the only parties to the contract are the seller and the buyer. The bank or mortage company is not a party to the contract, but in order for the contract to go to settlement, the bank, since they are not getting all their money, must agree to the terms. In other words the seller negotiates with the buyer for the real estate contract terms and conditions, after it is agreed to by all, then the seller submits the contract to the bank and opens negotiations with them if they do not accept the terms as written. As I am writing this I am feeling that these words are making it seemed more complicated than it really is. It is a fairly simple process, especially now, under new rules handed down to mortgage companies by the Obama administration, also known as "The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program". A process that was taking up to six months, now must be approved or disapproved within ten days. This is huge, because many buyers could not wait that long and sellers were losing in some cases their only opportunity. The other good news is that an approved transaction must fully release the borrower from the debt, which is one less debate you must enter into with your lender. Prior to this new rule, the borrower may have been required to sign a promissory note for the balance or a portion of it at settlement. An important point to make is these new guidelines only apply to banks and lenders that are subject to federal banking oversight. That means Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, but not neccessarily you local or state hartered banks who remain free to be as unreasonable as they want in the short sale process. My suggestion is to contact your financial institution as soon as possible if you are considering a short sale. Find out if they fall under the new rule, get their short sale policy in writing along with all of the forms you will need. The more information you have the less you will fear. There is never a good time to do a Maryland Home Short Sale, but at the same token, the process has never been better for sellers, buyers, real estate agents and banks alike. If everyone is performing in good faith, in the end each persons goal can be reached with the least amount of loss, pain and frustration. For a Free no obligation short sale consultation call direct or contact us at MD Short Sale Realtor As always to your success and happiness.

How to sell my home in Maryland in a declining real estate market. Many home sellers, especially those that have sold homes before in soaring markets, want to list at a price greater than the market value. They usually say "we can always come down." Not a good idea and this is why. Lets take a look at what happens from the time the home is listed. When entered into the MLS, the property information goes out to multiple websites and is sent to buyers with matching criteria. The problem with the home being overpriced is that those buyers know it. They have access to accurate home value sites and they have more than likely seen other properties in the area at lower prices. They are going to wait until your price comes down. So, the best opportunity to get the most money in shortest time is lost. Now we are on the market for 30 days and you decide it is time to drop the price. Remember it is a declining market and one more factor is coming into play, more inventory. You see more than twice as many homes are coming on the market than are being sold. Your home is worth less than it was when it was originally listed, it has time on the market (not likely to get full price offer) and you have more competition. The moral of the story is, if you say Sell My Home In Maryland in a declining market you may want to list your home 5-10% below current market value, if you really want to get it sold in the shortest time. Second that will more than likely get you the highest price as well (may create a bidding competition). In this market, highest list price does not equal, highest net price. For more on pricing and a free report on the 10 questions to ask before you choose an agent, go to Sell My House in Maryland in any market.

Maryland First Time Home Buyer Realtor, what is that. A REALTOR that specializes in helping those young and old looking to buy a home for the first time. As a first time home buyer you may beleive that all real estate agents will provide the same level of service, like any profession, there are different levels of success. Since a buying a home will more than likely be the largest investment of your life, the least you need to do is ask a few questions. I have been helping first time home buyers Baltimore and 1st time home buyers Harford County realize their dream of home ownership for more than 20 years. It has been the most gratifying process in my career. That is why I wanted to write this article that should help some of you avoid pitfalls and have a pleasant home buying experience as it was meant to be. Did you know that 50% of licensed real estate agents in the United States sell 3 homes or less a year. Of that number more than half close zero or 1 home a year. Would they qualify to help you? If you had a choice, would you choose them or a professional REALTOR that sells 3 or more homes a month? The decision could be the difference not only in dollars but whether the home buying experience is good or bad. Now we have established the difference between productive professional REALTORS and those that are in the real estate business for other reasons. There is another important term you need to understand and that is REALTOR, a trademark term. You see all REALTORS are real estate agents, but not all real estate agents are REALTORS. A REALTOR belongs to National, State and Local Associations and agrees to abide and be bound by a strict code of ethics. This code sets an elevated standard of practice of how we treat each other, buyers and sellers. If you have a choice, do you choose someone that has agreed to a higher standard of practice and ethics or operates with minimum no standard in place? Finally we need to look at great REALTORS and if that is enough and again the answer is no. Most REALTORS that excell at their profession have a specialty and why is that important for you. Almost any top REALTOR will be able to take you through the home buying process, but a REALTOR that specializes in first time homebuyers is going to be up to date on special financing, first time homebuyer programs and grants. They will more than likely have lenders that specialize in first time buyers as well, with all of the incentives that you can benefit from. This little peice of advice can literally save you thousands. To help, here are a few questions to ask: 1. What percentage of sales are 1st time homebuyers? look for 33%+ 2. What makes you different and why should I work with you? 3. What is your companies track record and reputation in the market place? 4. How many home buyers are you currently working with? 5. Do you have a reference list of clients I could contact? 6. What happens if I am not happy with the job you are doing, can I cancel my buyer contract? This information is a good start but as a Maryland First Time Home Buyer you must do your due dilligence. Buying a home should be fun. If you do your homework and find the right REALTOR to be your advocate, it more than likely will be. If you are the greater Baltimore, Harford County area of Maryland, visit our team website at; http://TheWhittakerTeam.com There you can start your home search and get more valuble information. The best part it is absolutely FREE and without obligation. Contact us anytime with questions and for assistance. Thank you for interest, happy home hunting.