Randi Krasnoff

If you did, then you know by now that you missed the opportunity to get a 4.5% interest rate! Oh, well. Not a big deal, really. Rates are still hovering around the 5.5% mark....considerably better than when I entered this biz back in the early 80's when rates were at 12%! OH.....and that was an improvement from the late '70's when rates reached a whopping 19%. I have visions of being able to qualify for a stunning 0 bedroom, 1 outhouse storage shed!

There are extraordinary loan options available today. FHA and VA want home buyers to be able to achieve the American Dream.....really! VA still allows 100% financing all the way up to $417,000! WOW! And FHA offers loooooooow down payment options of 3.5% AND allows the seller to contribute up to 6% of closing costs and pre-paids. AND if that's not tantalizing enough, the down payment CAN be a GIFT!

So.......what are you waiting for?? Home prices are incredibly affordable. It IS a BUYER'S MARKET. Take advantage of this incredible time in real estate history to get a piece of this delicious pie....before inflation (a very bitter pie) kicks in.

Another suggestion: Look at monthly payment. Can you afford it - comfortably? If the answer is YES.....do it .....NOW!

Feel free to contact me at rkrasnoff@homusa.com or 828-545-5411. I have added mortgage lending to my professional service menu and lend in 27 states. Call me today to get pre-qualified. We can close your loan in 15 days, offering you the pride of home ownership........as well as a big, fat tax deduction!

First time buyer? Remember, that Uncle Sam wants YOU to have an $8000 tax credit.

Signing off til next time...........Randi

www.homusa.com

www.rrwnc.com

Thanks to the encouragement of one of my first mentors in business, I obtained my real estate sales person's license in 1984. Thanks Steve! Since that time, I have worked in the industry - either in sales, management, marketing or mortgage banking. NO matter how diligently I attempted to extricate myself from the business, I'm still in it! Must be in my blood.....thanks Dad!

Anyway.......more so as of late, it has come to my attention that we agents/brokers are about as highly regarded as um, well........lawyers! Thank you Shakespeare! When people ask me what I do, I notice that I am hesitant to say, "REALTOR." There....I've said it. Not so painful after all.

What I do is important! I help people make the biggest investment they will most likely ever make in their lives. I assist them in achieving, by golly, the American dream, after all! Currently I am a principal in an Asheville development --- the first of its kind might I add - that caters to the first time buyer. Priced from $179,000, these homes offer a lot of bang for the buck!

Please let me show you how investing in a home in this market is one of the smartest decisions you can make. With as little as 3.5% down payment and Uncle Sam's $8000 tax credit, how could it not be??

Oh, and by the way, when I am next asked, "What do you do," I will say, "I assist people in achieving the American Dream." Let me help you make that dream a reality!

www.rrwnc.com

According to Irwin Kellner of MarketWatch, home prices are closer to stabilizing today than at any time in the past nine years.

Based on his latest data, median selling prices for new and existing homes combined now equal 2.9 times median household incomes, nationwide. According to his study, this is exactly the ratio that existed during the 1980s, when sales and construction of housing boomed.

Additional study results indicate that three years ago, just before the housing bubble burst, this ratio was 4.5 times incomes. Due to the fact that interest rates are much lower today than they were then, housing is even more affordable.

Though obtaining a mortgage is tougher today than it was in the '80s, as long as borrowers are willing and able to conform to '80's standards, they will not find it difficult to obtain a mortgage loan today.

Irwin Kellner is chief economist for MarketWatch, and is Distinguished Scholar of Economics at Dowling College in Oakdale, N.Y.

Who else is confused about this bit of mythology? The whole process seems so counter intuitive to me! So ... the story goes: if the furry guy sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. Seems to me that seeing a shadow means that the sun is out. And if the sun is out, isn't it warmer than cloud cover??? Warm. Sunny. Sounds like spring to me! However seeing one's shadow, whether you're furry or not, means that winter will be lingering for six more weeks....or so the story goes!

Sound like a bunch of hoo hah? Of course it does! Know why? It IS a bunch of hoo hah! And so is much of the news you are hearing or reading in this world today. Like a myth, which is defined as a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, today's media loves sensationalizing.

What do you think would happen if we, the public, did not recognize the "R" word? What if we sought the advice of individuals, respected in the fields of real estate and mortgage banking, and learned from them that the sky is NOT falling!? We would know that the world is still spinning and that there is business to be done.

Here's my thinking. If you are not buying or selling a home....refinance the one you're in. Lower your monthly payment so that you will have disposable income at the ready or reinvest those funds elsewhere. If you choose to stay where you are, remodel. Love the home you're in by adding value in bathrooms and kitchens....where, when you choose to sell, you will see the greatest return on investment! Rates are so very low....lower than I've EVER seen since 1983, when I started in this business. Find the silver lining. It's out there.

And when you areready to make a move to a new home in Western North Carolina, or buy a second home or rental property, contact me! Let me help you make your mountain dreams come true. OH...and if you need an unbelievably fair and competent licensed contractor in the Asheville or Hendersonville areas, have I got a guy for you!

All the best til next time.....Randi's out!

NC Loan Modifications

Local Representation Working for YOU.

It happened to me.....life didn't go as planned and I got behind on my mortgage payment. After freaking out and realizing that would not solve the situation, I contacted my lender to discuss my options. Wanting to approach my situation proactively when I saw myself getting low on cash, exhausting savings and even a 401K plan, I called my lender to ask for a loan modification. I wanted to get into a modification plan prior to getting behind on payments.

However, when I stated my case, what they told me made no sense.

What did they tell me? "You are current on your loan. Wait until you miss a payment, then get back in touch with us." So....wishing to comply, that's what I did. I must add that as a former mortgage banker who knows the importance of maintaining stellar credit, I would have rather stabbed myself in the eye with a sharp stick! The kicker, you ask? When I followed up to discuss the next step, they told me that in order to get into a modification plan, I would have to make a payment! Craziness, huh?

Mama mia! Dios mio! Oy vey. Yeesh. (OK...and a few other choice expletitives)!

It was then that I did my homework and chose to work with a loan modification specialist who works directly with a nationally recognized law firm specializing in loan modifications. Ah...they will represent ME and deal with the lender's red tape.

What saved my psyche was knowing that I was not alone, so if you find yourself in a similar situation, please let me help you! I am now working with the same nationally recognized law firm and we want to represent you in your loan mod process.

Save your home, your credit and your sanity!