Kristina Zack

Thought I might share my press release...I still think it is a dream!

Kristina Zack of Prudential Connecticut Realty

Nominated for Realtor Magazine's

"30 Under 30 List" for 2009

Enfield, CT - Kristina Zack of Prudential Connecticut Realty's Enfield office has been named one of the 50 finalists in REALTOR® Magazine's 2009 "30 Under 30" list, announced Candace Adams, President of the company.

"Kristina is one of the hardest working young agents we ever have," Ms. Adams said. "Her sales volume is up 500% from 2007 to 2008. Not only is she always available for her clients, but she's also active on Twitter, Facebook, Active Rain and her own blog, answering questions and getting information to everyone who requests it. We are very proud of her being nominated."

Ms. Zack, who says she knew she wanted to be a Realtor® from the time she was eight, turned her first job as a cashier at Kentucky Fried Chicken into a position as store manager at the age of 17, before rising through the ranks to become Marketing Training Manager.

Having joined Prudential Connecticut Realty in 2007, Ms. Zack specializes in Hartford, Litchfield and Tolland Counties. She has earned several designations including eCertified, ePro, Certified Residential Specialist and completed the Graduate Realtor Institute. She serves on the Greater Hartford Association of Realtors Member Services and South Region Committees. She also is affiliated with the Women's Council of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, Connecticut Association of Realtors, Greater Hartford Association of Realtors and Hartford Habitat for Humanity.

Each June, REALTOR® Magazine features 30 rising young stars in the real estate industry. The association looks for candidates who are successful in the real estate business and have demonstrated ingenuity and creativity in their careers. They also look for innovative marketing ideas, unique personal stories, tales of triumph, and leadership in the community and the profession.

Kristina can be reached at Prudential Connecticut Realty on 786 Enfield Street, or by calling her office 860-741-4478 or her cell phone at 860-307-9600. Her e-mail is Kristina@prudentialct.com or visit her website at www.CT247RealEstate.com.

Prudential Connecticut Realty is the largest real estate firm in Connecticut.

Disposing of electronic waste the wrong way can impact our enviroment immensely. The amount of mercury contained in one computer can contaminate 20 water acres of a lake!

Environmental responsibility is important to us and as a celebration of Earth Day we want to help you, & help the earth. In honor of Earth Day, we will be offering an e-waste disposal event. All you need to do is load up your unwanted computers,printers, monitors, T.V's, Computer Mouses,modems,cellphones, batteries and other components you no longer use,bring them to our event and we will take care of the rest. We have teamed up with a certified e-waste agent to ensure that your potentially hazardous waste is disposed of the right way. All items will be hauled out of your car, so no need to even get out of your car..it will be like a drive-thru!

Proceeds will be donated to The Sunshine Kids Foundation ( http://www.sunshinekids.org/ ) & The Enfield Food Pantry (http://www.enfieldfoodshelf.org/ ) $8.00 for the first item, $6.00 for each additional item therefore after.

Location: Prudential Connecticut Realty 786 Enfield Street Enfield, Ct 06082

Date: April 18 from 9am-12pm

For further questions, please contact me at 860-741-4478

Come out and support The earth & Two important foundations!

You are probably already aware of the rise in home foreclosures that has occurred in recent months. After all, it has been in the news almost daily for several months now.

But what you may not know is that many of the properties that get foreclosed upon end up being sold at real estate auctions and SOMETIMES less than market value. What this means to you, as a home buyer, is that you can often save a lot of money by purchasing a home at auction only if it is worth your while, you have the cash in hand & you are handy. I have been getting this question A LOT in the last few months. For folks who are not fimliar with it, might benefit from some advice. This isn't for everyone.

With that in mind, I would like to offer you 21 important points about this topic. There are some of the things you should know before attempting to buy a home at a real estate auction.

21 Things You Should Know

1. The process leading up to a foreclosure can last up to five months to a year. It starts when the homeowner defaults on the loan, but it can drag on through various stages, depending on what state you are in.
2. Because of this lengthy process, you need to be flexible, patient and persistent, all at the same time.
3. At some point, the lender will file a notice of default, typically 3 months, against the homeowner, which formally begins the process of foreclosure.
4. From a legal perspective, there are two types of foreclosures -- the judicial and the non-judicial. As you would imagine, the former takes place in court and the latter takes place outside of court.
5. Most foreclosures in this country are of the non-judicial variety, meaning they never go to court before a judge.
6. The non-judicial variety is also referred to as a "power of sale" foreclosure. It allows the trustee to sell the property more quickly (on behalf of the lender) by avoiding a court process.
7. During the pre-foreclosure stage, the homeowner may work with the lender to get back on track with his or her mortgage payments.
8. Also during this stage, the homeowner could sell the home before the bank forecloses on it, typically through what's known as a real estate short sale process.
9. If the homeowner fails to (A) get back on track with mortgage payments or (B) sell the house via short sale, the property will move along the path to a real estate auction.
10. About 20 days before the real estate auction is to take place, a notice of sale will be posted for public viewing.
11. In most cases, the notice of sale is posted at the county courthouse (in the county where the foreclosed property is located & posted in the local paper. There is sign posted on the designated property
12. In most cases, the actual auction will also take place at the property in CT, but can be at the Courthouse in some states
13. In addition to the notice of public sale (which is a minimum requirement), the lender will announce the auction event through other channels as well.
14. The lender wants a good turnout at the event, because having a lot of qualified bidders will increase the likelihood of a quick sale.
15. The lender wants a quick sale above all else, because they are losing money and wasting other resources by keeping the non-performing (unpaid) loan on their books.
16. In true auction fashion, the attendees will bid on the property and it will eventually be sold to the highest bidder.
17. After the home is sold, a deed is promised to the successful bidder after court processing in CT.
18. The starting price for a home being sold at auction is normally based on the amount owed to the lender (combined with other expenses the lender might have incurred when foreclosing on the property). This is the norm these days. Rarely you will find an auction that is marked below market value. Its best to do your homework & see what homes are selling for that are simliar to the subject.
19. Overbidding is a common mistake among first-time attendees. This will drive up the price of the home and defeat the purpose of buying through an auction. The purpose for investors is to obtain a property below market value.
20. In most scenarios, attendees must have financing lined up before they will be allowed to bid on a property. For obvious reasons, real estate auctions are typically cash-based. In CT, you must bring 10% of the starting bid amount, bank check format made out to the attorney that is holding the auction. The instructions are normally on the auction sign & in the local paper.
21. Most homes sold in this way are sold as-is with no warranties of any kind. So if you have the chance to inspect the property before bidding on it (even if it's just a cursory walkthrough), take that opportunity.

Obviously this does not cover everything you need to know about buying a foreclosure home through a real estate auction. Entire books have been written on the subject, and you should read those too. But this will help you understand the basic process that takes place, and therefore shall serve as a good jumping-off point for your further research.

With that in mind, I recommend you print it out and highlight the areas where your knowledge is lacking. Then, learn as much as you can about those areas.

I know everyone has seen enough about the tax credit, but a lender I know developed this great comparision chart between the old and the new. I love charts that are easy to read! :)