Katie Halle

Read my new blog re-post regarding Strategic Short Sales.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1558502/the-art-of-the-strategic-short-sale




You might find this interesting if you owe more than your home is worth.

You may be eligible for streamlined short sale (approved in 15 days) if your mortgage is with World Savings or Wachovia.

Contact me for more details.


Market stats: It's still a buyer's market. February's numbers were better than January's and March is on track to exceed December 2009 numbers.

It's common to have multiple offers on properties that are priced at or below market.




New Listings Active Listings Sold Listings Months Inventory
Feb/2010 12,872 43,007 6,566 6.55
Jan/2010 13,219 41,685 5,735 7.27
Dec/2009 10,500 41,108 7,549 5.45


View this month’s FEATURED LISTING –

Celebrate the ultimate in luxury living:
http://www.4492kittyhawk.com/

View more featured listings, short sales, and foreclosures at:
http://www.katiehalle.com


View Katie’s “deal of the month” : Gilbert - over 4,000 square feet and under $300k? What? WOW!
http://www.flexmls.com/link.html?rft6wwf2z7s,12,1


This month’s “Green” tip:
Time to get your A/C unit serviced to get ready for summer!
Don't forget to schedule your service soon. It'll keep your unit running efficiently and will save you any surprises down the road. The last thing we want here in the Phoenix area is to be without A/C in the summer! Some home warranty's require that you keep the unit serviced or they won't cover any claims. Call me if you need a referral of a good A/C Tech.


SHOPPERS always get the BEST DEALS! Keep an eye on the neighborhoods you love. Email me for a link to your very own instant notification home search site tailored specifically to your search criteria.



katie@katiehalle.com

TRIVIA QUESTION! Be the first to email me the answer to this question and a gift card will be on it’s way to you.





The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in what city on March 17th, 1762?


Download my new Iphone app!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=337502874&mt=8

Yep...you read it right. One of the most beautiful neighborhoods in all of Gilbert, Whitewing at Higley, has a total of 8 homes in preforeclosure as of the time of this blog post (1.29.10 8:30am AZ time).

You might be thinking...how does this happen?

There are many reasons why a homeowner defaults on their mortgage. They may be headed to a divorce, had a job loss, had a reduction in pay, lost a spouse or loved one, had expensive medical issues, etc.

If you are a homeowner in this area and you are facing Trustee Sale, you need to talk with someone that can inform you of your options and can consult with you on the best route to take. Call me immediately. My office number is 602.476.1942. The best thing that you can do for yourself is to know what options you do have and to determine the best route to take that is most beneficial to your personal situation. This is not a "one size fits all" type situation. You have options and you should know about them. My job is to arm you with information.

Among the many options available to you, one option is to pursue a short sale. Call me immediately for more information (602.476.1942) or visit my website at: http://www.katiehalle.com/ and click on the "are you a short sale candidate" on the left hand side of the first page (in the black box). This is a good reference to determine if you are a good candidate. I am the short sale resource with the Bonnie Dillon Team (you may have seen our listing signs around your neighborhood). We are trusted experts in the area and have been helping homeowners buy and sell in Whitewing since it was built.

In a nut shell Banks prefer to approve a short sale rather than take your home into foreclosure...especially on the higher priced homes. They just don't want those on their books. Not only is it a non-performing asset but the government requires more reserves from the banks as their REO (real estate owned) inventory grows. This results in less money for the banks to lend which is what they are in business to do...lend, not stockpile REO inventory.

For the homeowner, short sales have much less negative impact on credit than foreclosure. Foreclosures stay on your credit history for 10 years, reducing scores by 200+ points, jeopardizes security clearance, increases insurance rates, and endangers current and future employment.

Call a Whitewing expert...The Bonnie Dillon Team!

Listen to my new January 2010 podcast on 2010 Predictions: http://myrealtalk.podbean.com

Market stats: We are still selling, selling, selling! With the extension and the changes made to the home buyer tax credit, we are still seeing bidding wars and prices are holding steady. Now is a great time to get off of the fence to purchase as we expect interest rates to rise after the first quarter (oh and there is new news if you're looking for a condo...call me on this one).
We are noticing more and more short sale listings popping up. We are short sale experts! Do not hesitate to contact me if you or a friend of yours is facing financial difficulty and need options. There ARE options!

View this month’s FEATURED LISTING – Entertainer's DELIGHT! Gorgeous Gilbert Home!

www.3888ebellerivedr.com

View more featured listings at:

http://www.katiehalle.com

View Katie’s “deal of the month” : Great Gilbert area - perfect for an investment property or first home. Over 1400 square feet for $100,000! WOW!
http://www.flexmls.com/link.html?rdwgy2fovtt,12,1

This month’s “Green” tip:

GO ELECTRONIC!

Electronic vs. paper

So many magazines, billing statements, and newspapers are now online. While it takes electricity to view them, the amount of energy involved is less than the paper based product, plus there's nothing to throw out once you're done reading. Make the Internet part of your paper reduction diet!

SHOPPERS always get the BEST DEALS! Keep and eye on the neighborhoods you love. Email me for a link to your very own instant notification home search site tailored specifically to your search criteria.

katie@katiehalle.com

TRIVIA QUESTION! Be the first to email me the answer to this question and a gift card will be on it’s way to you.

In 1995 the United Nations celebrated which birthday?

Download my new Iphone app!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=337502874&mt=8

I get this question on an almost daily basis.

"We are just looking right now and we really don't think we need to get prequalified."

So, when the Doctor tells you to fast before an operation you don't listen to him either, huh?

One popular misstep in the home buying process is looking at property before you are qualified with a lender to make that purchase.

"Why" you say?

The reasons are simple but very important.

- You will know the exact amount for which you can qualify. This allows you to view properties that you are certain fit within your budget. Wouldn't it be heart breaking to find your dream home only to find that it's several $1,000's or $10,000's out of your reach. And, no, depending on the situation you probably can't just "offer them less" and expect to get the house.

- Your approximate monthly payment will be set do you can figure into your budget. Yeah, we can qualify for a mortgage all day long but does it fit within your personal budget? There are some payments that lenders don't take into consideration when qualifying and it's up to the consumer to make sure that their personal budget will work with the new payment and added costs homeownership brings.

- You will receive closing cost and down payment figures. Again, how can you navigate a transaction without this stuff??

- You and your lender can select the best loan program for your particular situation. Are you a first time buyer, a teacher, or maybe a firefighter? There are different programs out there that certain people can qualify for that might allow you to get more home for your money. Wouldn't you like to know this stuff upfront?

- You may have some bumps and bruises on your credit or in other parts of your finances. A lender will compile all of the info and will advise you of any clean up that you need to do in order to make your situation better. In most cases this will save you money on your mortgage and may allow you to buy more home for your money.

- The property that you are able to purchase depends on your financing. For instance, if you are using FHA financing there are certain home conditions that will prevent the lender from mortgaging that home. Isn't it a good idea to know these things up front?

- Lastly, here in Arizona, seller and listing agents require proof of prequalification or an LSR to be submitted with the initial offer and will not look at an offer without it.

The goal here is to create the most efficient and effective plan while home shopping and while navigating the transaction. Doesn't it make sense to get prequalified before shopping for a home?

Take it from my lender friend David Rider. Check out this article:

agentgenius.com

agentgenius.com

In an effort to “strengthen the FHA’s capital reserves,” the Federal Housing Administration Commissioner David Stevens announced today big changes.