MeLisa Minter, MBA, Realtor - 469-766-7379

I always new that pricing and condition were key and I always stress that to my clients. This time it really paid off.

Here's the story. This past Summer I was in the grocery store with my 3 sons...which is always an adventure... and lady started talking with my sons or the other way around, I really can't remember. Anyway, I was just a few weeks into Brian Buffini's 100 Days to Greatness, so I was in the mode of meeting at least 5 new people a day.

The lady and I started chatting and she gave me a religious brochure and I in turn gave her my business card and stated that if she or anyone she knew ever needed to buy or sell a home, that I would love to help them. She immediately explained that she and her husband were considering putting their home on the market, but they had some personal things to take care of before they would make a final decision - maybe sometime in early Fall they would be ready.

She then proceeded to explain the type of loan she had, which was through the USDA Home Loan Program, I was slightly familiar with it, and that if she sold her home before a certain period that she would have to pay back some type of subsidy. Anyway, I offered to check into the program and find out what I could about her type of loan.

I immediately went home and mailed her a thank you card and also included one of my brochures as well as a Dress Your House For Success brochure. Well low and behold, a couple of weeks later, she calls me and says that she and her husband would like to go ahead and put their home on the market because her husband had just been laid off. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic because all of that walking up to strangers and striking up conversations had finally paid off.

I schedule the listing appointment, did my CMA and prepared my listing presentation and off I went to get the listing. Everything went smoothly. I asked for a tour of the home, took measurements while they told me about each room and then we sat down to discuss their MO. They needed to sell pretty quickly and was open to any and all suggestions that I had. They had previously read all of the material that I sent them, so their home was "show ready." After they signed the listing agreement, the husband tells the wife - who is frantic that she's going to have to keep her house spotless for an unknown amount of time - "not to worry and that we will have the home sold in 30 days tops."

Well it happend... on day 29 I got a call from a realtor who wanted to take his buyer to see the property. I was excited because we had only had one showing up until this point. Their showing was scheduled for 9am that morning and by 11am, they were calling me wanting to fax in an OFFER!!! Yippee!!! I thought, so here we go.

We get the offer and it's a fairly good offer. My sellers had some items that they were holding for negotiations and we countered back with those items and a slightly increased number. The offer was accepted the same night and now we have a closing scheduled for Nov. 24.

This has been the smoothest transaction that I've had thus far. The inspection went well, there were minor items that my seller agreed to repair. The appraisal has been completed and hopefully the lender doesn't request any other repairs to be made. So now I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that things continue to progress as well as they have.

I'm so used to transactions being worse than getting teeth pulled, that I'm a bit cautious about getting too excited. I just came off of a very challenging Short Sale, and to have a smooth transaction without all of the chaos, is a welcome event in and of itself.

Wish me luck.

P.S. Look for my Blog about the USDA Home loan Program.

11800 CR 313 - SALE PENDING!!!

MeLisa Minter, Realtor

www.homesmint2be.com

Do you currently live in the Forney, Texas area and can't sell your home because you're upside down in it?

With today's market, many people are finding themselves in this situation for whatever reasons. Some of you may be suffering from an ARM rate kicking in, others may be experiencing job loss, divorce or even job relocation issues.

If you are not familiar with Short Sales, you need to get familiar with it. According to Realtor.com, the term Short Sale happens when "a seller's mortgage lender agrees to accept a payoff of less than the balance due on the loan." But the key word here is ACCEPT. The lender has to fully approve the request and this will either determine the price you could list your home at or if offers are already submitted, determine the price the lender has to clear, not including any real estate or buyer's fees.

This Blog is not a "How To," it is merely a tool for basic information on what to expect if you find yourself in the predicament of needing to request a short sale. I would rather schedule a one-on-one conference to meet with you directly and assist you with assessing your Short Sale situation.

There are several stringent requirements you must meet in order to request a short sale. Some of the requirements include:

• First and foremost, get an experienced Realtor who has done short sales before.
• Be prepared to submit a Request to Release Information Letter, this request allows your realtor to speak directly with your lender in regards to the short sale request.
• Start preparing your Short Sale Package.
• Your package should include: A Financial Hardship Letter. And it had better be good, this is one of the most important items the bank will use to determine if you are eligible for a Short Sale. Contact me for advice on how to structure your financial hardship letter.
• Also be prepared to submit any Financials with your short sale package.
• Your realtor must also submit infomation on the Market Activity in your neighborhood as well as other information as requested by the lender.

I know this list may be short and to the point, but do not let that fool you. For an extensive list of what to submit with your short sale package, contact me and I will be glad to help.

Short Sales are grueling, time consuming and downright stressful. So be ready for a long and wild ride. The best thing to do to keep things in focus is to always be prepared and ready to submit any information that your realtor or the bank requests of you.

Here are some local Stats. on Forney Short Sales according to our local MLS.

There are currently 3 active listings in Forney with Short Sale Requests and 1 Sold listing since January 2008. This is a very good number because that means that there are not many short sales being requested in the Forney area. However, this number will probably change considering there is a lot of new construction going on in Forney. This will affect the value of your property especially if you have been in your home for less than five years.

Notice the Days on Market Number is 120+ days. That's because Short Sales are a slow process, especially if the request is not done correctly. That is why it is essential to obtain an experienced real estate professional and to be prepared and have all of your Short Sale Package information available and complete.

Short Sales are not really that scary, the worst part of course is the waiting for the approval. But this process is far better than having your home Foreclosed on and damaging your credit rating.

Again, this is not designed as a "How To," but as an informational piece to give you an idea of what to expect.

Call me and we can devise a plan and strategy to get your short sale request going.

MeLisa Minter, Realtor

www.homesmint2be.com

melisa@homesmint2be.com

Come to East Texas. We have gorgeous lakefront properties on area lakes such as Lake Ray Hubbard, Cedar Creek Lake, Lake Palestine and Lake Fork to name a few.

Details:

Lake Ray Hubbard - by far the most popular in the Dallas area, with its new addition of The Harbor that features, dining, entertaining and hotels. Featured Lake Side Community: Water's Edge, Rockwall, Tx.

Cedar Creek Lake - the fourth largest lake in Texas with over 320 miles of shoreline located about an hour east of Dallas. Featured Lakeside Community: Harbor Light Villas, Cedar Creek.

Lake Palestine - about 135 miles of shoreline, great for fishing, jet sking and tournaments. Located about 30 minutes from Tyler, Texas and about 90 minutes from Dallas. Featured Lakeside Community, Eagle's Bluff, Bullard, Texas.

Lake Fork - about 318 miles of shoreline, popular for its large mouth bass and bass tournaments. Located about 60 minutes east of Dallas. Featured Builder, Texas Waterfront Builders, Emory, Texas.

These communities offer homes from the $200,000's and up.

Check out photos of some of the communities and email me for current listings that are ready for purchase

Attached photos courtesy of Water's Edge LP, Harbor Light Villas, Eagle's Bluff & Texas Waterfront Builders

In my last blog, I highlighted the historic homes of Terrell, Texas and the best place to find them, on Griffith Avenue. I also mentioned that I would provide a list of great antique shops in the area.

Below is a list of antique shops in Kaufman County, Texas that can certainly help you furnish your historic home. Be mindful that there are certain things you need to know and be aware of when you are antique shopping.

First, not all antiques are antique. Be sure to check out the finish very thoroughly. You want to be certain that the piece is constructed of natural wood and not plywood, or MDF. If should look OLD. If you don't know what to look for, take a friend along who may have a little more experience.

Next, make sure that everything is orignal and that it matches, especially if it's a set. It's hard to find an original piece that is still in good condition, but it is possible. You will know if its original if it has layers of stain in the cracks and crevices.

Finally, check out the craftsmanship of the piece. Not the say that you should view it as an expert, but look for flaws, indentations or marks, that were probably made during the construction of the piece by man and not by machine.

And most importantly, don't be to quick to purchase a piece just because the seller says that it's an antique. I've found many stores in several cities, that will call a piece an antique but they really constructed it a few weeks ago and just added some distressed painting techniques.

Now here's the list of some local antique dealers in Kaufman County

Antiques on the Square, Kaufman, Tx (972) 932-8689

Vintage Modern Antiques, Terrell, Tx. (972) 551-2355

Fairbrother House, Mabank, Tx. (903) 887-5373

Deridder Antiques, Forney, Tx. (972) 564-4468

This is just a short list of dealers in the Kaufman County area, for an extensive list, email me

Happy Shopping

MeLisa Minter, Realtor

www.homesmint2be.com

http://melisaminter.point2agent.com

melisa@homesmint2be.com

Copyright MeLisa Minter 2008. Kaufman County Antique Dealers.

If you ever get the opportunity to drive down Griffith Avenue and through Terrell, Texas' historic district, you will definitely feel like you have traveled back in time. The historic homes of eras gone by are still standing just as boldly and proudly as they ever were. From the traditional English Tudor to the detailed Craftsman Style, there is absolutely something for everyone. Some of the homes recently found themselves on the market and thanks to the young urban flippers, these home are being restored to their original beauty. It takes a very dedicated personto take on the huge task of restoring historic properties, because if it is not done right, you have certainly defeated the purpose of restoring an historic home. That's why the National Trust for Historic Preservation sets rules and regulations for historic properties that are being restored.

Some buyers may decide to turn the homes into bed and breakfasts; while others will just enjoy living in a modernized historic home. You can check the county tax rolls to determine the age of the historic homes and you could also possibly be lucky enough to get a history lesson from the locals if you stick around a little while. Terrell's Heritage Museum is also a great place to obtain a wealth of information about the city's history and it's historic homes.

Terrell prides itself as "a community looking to the future without forgetting the past." There are many great things about living in a small town such as Terrell, Texas and when you factor in the experience of the historic districts of these small towns, the benefits are even greater. It helps us to remember where we came from in order to get to where we are going.

So if you are considering moving to a historic district or historic home, be sure that you thoroughly research the area, its history and its future, because things are constantly changing everyday and although we welcome change, it is our heritage that makes us who we are.

For a listing of historic homes in Terrell, Texas or Kaufman County, visit my website at www.homesmint2be.com for more information.

Now that you're interested in historic homes, how about finding some great antiques to furnish them?? Check out my next blog on where to find some great antiques and antique replicas for great prices.

P.S. it's all local.

MeLisa Minter, MBA Realtor

www.homesmint2be.com

http:melisaminter.point2agent.com

melisa@homesmint2be.com

Kaufman County, Historic Homes in Terrell, Texas.