Stacie Colclasure, REALTOR, Bethalto, IL homes

For more information about this or any other home for sale in the Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Bethalto, Wood River, Alton, and Godfrey areas, email Stacie.

Stacie Colclasure Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR^® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Bethalto, Illinois, March 8, 2010 — Stacie Colclasure with Landmark Realty, Inc. has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS^® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS^® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS^® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

“As leading advocates for homeownership, REALTORS^® believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results,” said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it’s extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a REALTOR^® who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases.”

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS^® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

For more information on Short Sales and Foreclosures in the Bethalto and surrounding area, email Stacie Colclasure.

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I'm planning a trip to the Phoenix / Scottsdale area soon and wanting the opinion of the locals on all the must see and do things there. Definitely include the best places to eat (that is really important :).

I'm open for just about anything, but I should probably mention that I'm not the touristy (is that a word?) type. I don't get into hanging out with huge crowds of strangers. However, this may be the one and only time I visit there so I don't want to miss anything important!

Thanks for sharing!

FREE Child Safety Event in Wood River, IL

Jack Schmitt Chevrolet in Wood River, IL is sponsoring The DNA Life Print Child Safety Event on Saturday, October 17, 2009 starting at 9:30am. Parents, please bring your children to this important event. This program provides parents with vital tools recommended by the FBI and The Department of Justice.

There will be food and refreshments, games and activities for the kids, and more. Each child will receive

a Child Safety Journal which will contain all the necessary vital information about your child,

a Digital Photo, and

a FBI Certified Biometric 10 Digit Fingerprint Profile.

The event sponsor does not keep records on file; the only record of the visit is handed to you to take home.

This event is endorsed John Walsh on the TV program America's Most Wanted. He became a well-known anti-crime activist after his 6 yr old son was abducted and murdered in 1981. He also created the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984.

For more information call the program headquarters at 618-259-4900 ext 101.