Vanna Siackhasone Anchorage Real Estate 907-720-4663

Fire in a Mountain View Apartment Complex has damaged six of the thirty units. Damage is estimated at around $30,000. According to ADN.com, the fire started in a bottom bathroom exhaust fan and made its way up three stories. At least 31 people were displaced, some of which will be housed by Red Cross of Alaska. Of the 31 displaced residents, many were children. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

Hats off to the Anchorage firefighters. They prevented the fire from going up to the roof, which could have caused major structural damage.

Anchorage will have a the chance to welcome President Barack Obama today as he stops in to talk to Alaska Troops. The Anchorage School District will be starting their rounds of H1N1 Vaccinations to students in schools today also.

President Obama will be giving a speech at the Elmendorf Air Force Base today some time between 12:20 and 3:25 today. During those times the FAA will restrict flights near the Elmendorf Air Force Base. President Obama will be taking off to Tokyo after his Alaskan visit. For a line by line of President Obama's speech, visit ADN.com.

The Anchorage School District will be vaccinating students today with the H1N1 flu shots. Students are required to have a signed permission slip from a parent so that the Anchorage School District's nurses can administer the vaccinations. The vaccinations come in two different froms- the nasal spray and the shot. According to a recorded message I got on my phone yesterday, the schools will have more of the nasal spray available than the shots. However, if students have an allergy to the spray and have to get the shot, that can be indicated on the Influenza permission slips that were sent home with children about 2 weeks ago.

For more information about Anchorage Real Estate or The Going Ons in Anchorage, visit The Anchorage Real Estate Web Site

Short Sale Approval can take a long time. After a short sale home has an accepted offer, the listing real estate agent submits a shortsale packet, complete with the the application, a hardship letter, paystubs, w-2's, income tax statements, and possibly other items, depending on the situation. Short sale offers are submitted to loan mitigators, who are usually in charge of over 300 files. These shortsale mitigators will look through the files and if there is ANYTHING missing, expect that file to be put at the bottom of the stack. It's important that Short Sale Agents understand the importance of getting each and every piece of paperwork to the mitigator at the same time!

Short sales are usually priced below market value because the properties need to sell, FAST. Short sales are usually in better condition than foreclosed properties since they are usually still occupied at the time of sale so the appliances and utilities are still in use.

I have a short sale listing that instantly had multiple interested parties. After going through the offers, the seller chose the highest and best offer, which was way above list price. Sounds great so far, right?

Up to that point, short sales are easy. It's the part in dealing with the banks and mitigators that can be tough. The bank mitigators duties are totally out of Real Estate Agents' hands. Sometimes they say it'll take two weeks for a reply and it takes them 4 weeks. When buyers are dealing with short sales, it's crucial that they are prepared for this type of wait. If they are prepped for this, the wait won't seem so bad. If not, it might be a good idea to move on to the next property. Short sales are not your typical real estate transaction, that's for sure!

If you are having a tough time paying your mortgage, it's important to seek help right away, whether it be through a loan modification or short sale, don't hesitate to call Vanna with your questions.... 907-720-4663

Obama signed the Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion on November 6, 2009. The original First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit that was introduced in February was a $8000 tax credit for any one who had not owned a home in the past three years. The $8000 was based on the sale amount of a property. The refund is 10% of the purchase price, up to $8000. Any first time home buyer qualified for this if they found, bought, and closed on a home by November 30, 2009.

Now that Obama has signed the new and revised version of the Home Buyer Tax Credit, consumers are given an additional five months to complete their home purchase. Home buyers now have until April 30, 2010 to close and record on a home to qualify for the tax credit.

In addition to the extension, congress has also moved to expand the tax credit so that move-up buyers or second home buyers would qualify for a tax credit up to $6500, as long as they owned their previous residence for at least 5 years.

For more information regarding the tax credit, refer to the IRS website

For more Anchorage Real Estate, call Vanna 907-720-4663

The month of November is the start of the holiday season for many families in our great nation. By the time Halloween hits, a nostalgic feeling seems to settle in our hearts for the thoughts of many holdiays that have passed and the one yet to come. The holidays bring a sense of joy, and certainly some stress. During this holiday season, let us not forget the reason for the season.

First off, the reason we have Thanksgiving is because of a fellowship that occurred long ago between two different nations coming together in a time of need. It symbolized the giving of one's people to another. The simple act of breaking bread and sharing one's food started a holdiay tradition in which we remember the things that we are most thankful for.

As Realtors, we are thankful for the many clients that we are able to serve each year. My clients are the reason I am in this business. Being part of such a big decision in a person's life and being able to be a positive influence to a family is more than one can really ask for. Getting paid for it and seeing the gratitude on my clients' faces is just icing on the cake. Finding a job that one really enjoys is a blessing from the Lord.

I am thankful for the loan officers that make our clients' lives as easy as possible during one of the biggest decision-making times of their life. Loan officers have to deal with the prequalification, all the paperwork, and with their underwriters. Sometimes, they are the bearers of bad news. But most loan officers willl show you how to get on track to buying a home, if you don't qualify right away.

I am thankful for the closing officers that are behind the scene. They are crucial during the process, pulling together information from a few different sources in order to make Real Estate closings in a timely manner. At the signing, these escrow officers make their job seem so easy, but behind the scene they are pulling things together in just a few hours because all the information does not get to them until the very end and by that time, most people have to close within the day.

And lastly but certainly not least, I am thankful for my family. They put up with my crazy schedule and love me unconditionally. Family is such an important aspect of any carreer. All too often, Realtors get lost in the frenzy and busy-ness of our business and we forget the reason we are doing this. Our clients want to see a Happy, Joyful and Well Rounded Realtor. So let's give thanks and remember why we do what we do!