Coeur d'Alene Real Estate Short Sale Heart Warming Moment - It's not often I have a chance to use the terms "heart warming" and "short sale" in the same sentence!
There are so many distressed homeowners right now. They are embarrassed, ashamed and they tend to suffer in silence. Frozen in fear. Not knowing what they can do, not realizing how many others there are that are living the same financial nightmare. Afraid of their friends finding out. Wondering what the neighbors will think. In many cases a short sale is a good solution to get you onto the next chapter of your life.
On September 17th I opened my email and found this message:
You've received a contact message from your Contact Form on the ActiveRain network. Message details: From: xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxxxx@aol.com
Subject: Short Sale (Sent via Activerain)
My wife and I are interested in a short sale of our home. I'm wondering what we need to do to get started with this process, with you as our Realtor. We have researched a little bit and you seem to be very experienced in this area....
I made an appointment with this local police officer and his wife to discuss their situation. It was a an awful story of being harassed for most of the past year by their mortgage company following a successful loan modification. There were discrepancies in payment amounts, payments received, the modification details - and these homeowners who had been trying to get this resolved for the better part of a YEAR were getting no help with the resolution. They were getting up to nine hostile calls a day from the lender's collection department. But no one would LISTEN to them, or help them.
They were both fighting back tears while we talked. They had accepted the reality that they were going to lose the modest home they built 8 years earlier, and loved. They didn't have the means to pay what their lender claimed they needed to bring their mortgage current, although they have records showing they had paid what they had been told they needed to pay. They had come to the end of their emotional ropes and couldn't hang on any longer. They were hopeless, which is not a good place to be. They had found a rental and were making plans to move out. Hoping to avoid foreclosure and make the best of a bad situation, we listed their house as a Coeur d'Alene short sale.
A week later we had a solid offer for full listing price. A good start. Nothing left to do but find out if their lender would approve them for a short sale, and at what price. After their grueling and frustrating experience trying to get someone to sort out their mess this past year, they were realisticly expecting the worst. A process that drug out forever. Short sale terms and conditions that they couldn't meet.
Today I received the approval letter. Accepted offer. No harsh terms or conditions, just a request for a notarized Arms Length Transaction form and a closing within 30 days.
I made the call to my Seller. As I told her the news, she broke down on the other end of the line. She was overcome with a huge flood of relief after such a prolonged period of mental exhaustion.
I may not have found a cure for cancer today, or pulled someone from a burning building. But to this frazzled homeowner I was a hero. A hero, because I had simply helped her find a resolution to her nightmare. Because FINALLY someone was willing to listen, and help.
Please, if you just can't keep up your mortgage payments and think you have no option but foreclosure, contact me! I can help you explore your options, whether it be a loan modification, short sale or something else, and advise you as to a course of action to bring the best possible outcome to a bad situation.
Holiday Toy Drive to benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
November 2 - December 4
Join me and the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors
as we collect unwrapped toys and gift cards for Kootenai County
children and teenagers this holiday season.
Make a difference in a child's life!
There are over 600,000 abused, neglected children in the U.S. Over 260 of these children are in Kootenai County. CASA volunteers represent these children in court, focusing exclusively on the child's best interest. They research their background & serve as fact finders for the judge. Volunteers continue to monitor during the life of the case, helping to ensure that the child makes it to a safe, permanent home as soon as possible.
Click on the link to the CASA website to find out more information about the organization and volunteer opportunities you can become involved in.
If you would like to join me in making a difference, please consider a donation of toys for children to age 12 or gift cards for teenagers, with a $15 value. Gifts should be unwrapped, gift bags are appreciated. Call me if you have questions or need more information. You can drop off toys and donations to me at my office. I'd love a chance to shake your hand and thank you personally!
Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene
1044 Northwest Blvd. Suite F
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
208-651-9700
Thank you for whatever you can do to
bring a smile to a child's face this holiday season!
My dad, Ron Rankin, had a vision to build a veterans memorial plaza between the old courthouse and the new administrative building in Coeur d'Alene. Dad was elected Kootenai County Commissioner in 1996, and served two terms from January 1997 through January 2003.
Dad began to raise money from private individuals for the three flagpoles and dedicatory stone. In 1998 the 8-ton black marble "Killed In Action" monument was placed in the plaza. Over the next few years the 13 wall panels of battle scenes from history, and the Hall of Heroes/Medal of Valor recipients and Purple Heart Honor Roll were added. Dad considered this memorial to veterans as his legacy. To this day, no public money has been used for the memorials, including the 14th marble wall panel honoring those who have and continue to serve in Iraq which was added in 2005.
After Dad's passing in 2004, the county unanimously decreed that the plaza be dedicated in his name. On Memorial Day 2005, the Rankin family donated the eagle statue to the citizens and veterans of Kootenai County during a ceremony to dedicate the Ronald D. Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza. 
My dad enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1946, shipped out to the Philippines, and was stationed at Subic Bay U.S. Naval Base. He was discharged in 1948. In 1950, dad enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves, just before he was activated on July 29, 1950, and shipped out August 18 for Korea, leaving behind my mom and my 7-month-old sister Lynne. Dad saw combat at the Inchon Landing and continued on to the liberation of Seoul, heading north to the Chosin Reservoir Campaign. After surviving 100,000 Red Chinese, he was discharged as a corporal on July 12, 1951.
A life member and founding Judge Advocate of the Pappy Boyington Detachment #966 of the Marine Corps League, Dad was also a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9831; a member of American Legion Post 14; and a member of the "Chosin Few," a last-man organization of those who survived the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in North Korea, November-December 1950.
My sister, Kerri Rankin Thoreson, continues today as the curator of the Kootenai County Ronald D Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza and oversees the memorials and ceremonies which take place there. She is also the wonderful photographer credited with these photographs.
I hope you'll join me today in prayer for our veterans, past and present, that our Heavenly Father will hold them in His loving hands as they stand between us and tyranny. Semper Fi, daddy.
Another North Idaho Loan Modification Company, HomeModifier, Gets Busted!
It wasn't long ago that Apply 2 Save went down in legal flames after ripping off scads of vulnerable homeowners trying to make the best of a bad situation. In the news this week is the tale of another loan modification company that didn't deliver what people paid big money for them to do. APS Northwest LLC, operating under the name HomeModifier in Spokane Valley and Post Falls, is being charged with a scam by the Idaho attorney general.
The AG filed legal action in the First District Court this week with an order to hand over tens of thousands in civil penalties for false representation, false advertising, and failing to perform services.
The complaint states, "Defendants accepted thousands of dollars from dozens of consumers for mortgage modification services that defendants never provided, that they were not qualified to provide, and that defendants were not authorized to provide."
BEWARE of LOAN MODIFICATION COMPANIES! I have written several articles about loan modifications and how these companies charge HUGE fees to do something that you can do yourself. In many cases,as with HomeModifier, they take your money and leave you hanging. For some important loan modification information please read:
Loan Modification Scams, Operation Loan Lies and a Ding on Your Credit Report
Loan modifications are FRUSTRATING to attempt to accomplish, and increasingly I am hearing of horror stories from good folks who should qualify but can't make it happen in spite of their best efforts. The facts are that in most cases it is NOT in the lenders best financial interest to modify a loan.
Is the FDIC Killing Short Sales and Loan Modifications in Coeur d'Alene Idaho?
It seems as if they are intentionally trying to make it as difficult as they can. It can seem tempting to someone who is emotionally stressed and financially overwhelmed to pay a fee for not having to personally deal with a lender. But proceed with EXTREME CAUTION!
BEWARE OF LOAN MODIFICATION COMPANIES! Do it yourself and save thousands!
As for HomeModifier, the Attorney General is ordering LLC managers Randy Paul Allen, Travis Wayne Smith and Clint Ty Paulson to pay restitution to everyone who suffered economic damages from their conduct. They have also been ordered to pay attorney's fees and investigation costs, and they can't engage in business in the state of Idaho again. Good!
Coeur d'Alene Lake Bank Repo REO Success Story!
On Labor Day I received a call from a wonderful family who wanted to look at a couple of bank repo homes for sale on Coeur d'Alene Lake. They had decided the timing was right to purchase a vacation home on Coeur d'Alene Lake and it was my privilege to assist them in getting a great value on a stellar property. Inventory is high and buyers are scarce. There has NEVER been a better time than right now to be a buyer on Coeur d'Alene Lake!This has been a long distance closing, they live out of state and I am in Colorado at the moment on a working vacation with my son's family. The call just came in that the transaction has funded and has been recorded. We're closed! No Success Story photo with my smiling clients this time, but imagine the photo ops this summer as they park their boat outside their back door or spend time on the private Captain Kidd Association sandy beach. Or spend evenings watching the twinkling lights at the Coeur d'Alene Resort across the bay.
The home they chose is a charming A-frame on a peninsula with three other homes, in Kidd Island Bay. It's a 1,938 square foot two story with an attached double garage and water frontage in front AND back! It was last purchased in 2006 for $575,000. It had been listed for a time as a short sale at $450,000. When we made our offer it was a Bank repo REO on Coeur d'Alene Lake that had recently been reduced to just under $400,000. We negotiated for a few weeks, and in the end they are getting a true SCREAMING DEAL on a stellar Coeur d'Alene Lake waterfront home for $340,000! Congratulations Jack and Gayle!
THIS is the best part of my job!
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I'm a full time, full service real estate broker in my spectacular hometown of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I specialize in GETTING RESULTS while delivering world class service to both Buyers and Sellers.
As your real estate agent, my philosophy is simple: to assist YOU in achieving YOUR goals. Your priorities become my priorities.
On a personal level, as well as professionally, I understand the challenges involved in moving. Whether you're moving across town or across the country, I will provide the resources you need for a seamless relocation.
Communication is key. Based on an honest, straightforward approach, I will work to exceed your expectations and guide you successsfully through the buying and relocation process.
The smarter I work, the luckier you get!
Give me a call so I can get to work for you!
Janna R. Scharf, Associate Broker, GRI, CLHMS, CSP 
Both buyers and sellers benefit from my competency in the traditional residential resale market, as well as expertise in two specialty areas. I have advanced training and success that benefits buyers involved in the process of new home construction, and also in the marketing of upper-tier homes and estates. I continue to take advantage of educational opportunities that enhance my ability to provide world-class service to my clients. I am proud to have achieved the following professional designations:
GRI Graduate, Realtor Institute Realtors who hold the GRI designation have taken at least 90 credit hours of specialized real estate education and are up to date on the latest real estate trends and issues. They have dedicated their time and resources on extensive real estate education to bring you quality service. The designation is awarded by the state association to members of the National Association of Realtors who subscribe to their Code of Ethics. Designees must maintain that membership to retain the designation.
CLHMS Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist - Million Dollar Guild Status, Awarded by The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. Members of The Institute have undergone training in analyzing the luxury home market, providing quality service and achieving effective results in the high-end residential market. Members of The Institute who have been awarded the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation have successfully demonstrated their expertise in the luxury home and estate market by meeting strict performance requirements. Million Dollar Guild members are specialists who have met production requirements and have certified success in the million-dollar and above market. Your exceptional property demands an exceptional professional. Guild Members have established their expertise and abilities in helping buy or sell the world's most exclusive residential homes and estates.
CNS The Certified Negotiation Specialist (CNS™) designation is awarded to agents who have successfully completed specialized training in contract negotiations. I have earned the Certified Negotiation Specialist designation to help negotiate the best possible price and terms for my clients when buying and selling a home. Research shows that those with the knowledge and training to conduct skilled negotions will will deliver a smoother transaction and provide thier clients with increased value. 
CSP Certified New Home Sales Professional The CSP designation is a must-have credential required by many builders for their sales staff. It is a professional-level designation for those who specify in new home sales. The CSP designation is earned through an industry-recognized program through the National Association of Home Builders. The comprehensive program provides in-depth knowledge of the home building process and teaches skills to provide exceptional customer service to the builders and purchasers of newly constructed homes.
John and Sherri Morton ~
We listed our property with Janna after nine months with another agent. We were very pleased with the extra effort Janna put forth in every aspect of getting our home sold. She had some creative ideas and angles that targeted different market groups. Janna made us feel like she was really there for us, keeping us informed with regular updates. She went the extra mile, taking care of a variety of details after we moved out of state. Janna's high level of professionalism, her positive attitude and friendly nature make her a true asset to the community. We felt Janna really cared about us and our needs. We would highly recommend Janna to anyone who is seeking a qualified agent.Rulon Stacey ~
Janna brings a level of diversification that really separates her from the rest. She has demonstrated an extraordinary ability in everything from buying to selling. At every step of the process she is there to help you and guide you through the challenges that always come up. And, she is able to do this while keeping her infectious positive attitude. When you interact with Janna, you will not only get first class service, but you will always leave feeling better for the interaction. You really can't go wrong working with Janna!The Hubbard Family ~
We were so pleased with Janna and her services. She helped us through every step of our home process. She began as our Realtor and she has become our friend.Wes and Trinity ~
I recently received a promotion and had to move out of state before our home sold. We were comfortable trusting Janna to handle all the details of our closing. She thought of everything and was very thorough and professional. We were grateful to have her looking out for our interests.Mike and Kristi Manuel ~
Janna is the best! She has gone above and beyond in every way to help us with selling our house. She has watched over us every step of the way and always took the time to explain and re-explain until we felt good about things. She is personal and professional - really a great representative for Keller Williams.
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