Spokane, WA

Perhaps you are considering going "For sale by owner" in Spokane Wa.

Selling a home by owner in Spokane, or anyplace else can be challenging. The latest statistics are in and the success rate is 11% of FSBO's actually sell, and a WHOPPING 85% of those are sold by Realtor's who bring the buyers.

I pride myself in having a very comprehensive marketing plan which I have in the form of a sellers pack I give potential sellers. Detailing dozens of proven marketing avenues, this professional marketing packet is available upon request to anyone thinking of selling a home in Spokane Wa.

Again, after studying the comprensive statistics recently put out by the National Association of Realtors, I feel confident that my strategy highlights the marketing that is actually working to sell homes.

There are a few things I do not do because the proof is in the pudding folks, and some forms of advertising simply do not work for sellers, and I choose to focus on the ones that produce measurable results.

In todays market, if you choose to sell for sale by owner in Spokane Wa. then I do wish you the best of luck, as long as your understand there is a 89% chance your home will not sell.

I am happy to meet with you in person and discuss my no obligation listing presentation so you know what your options are!

Because there is no place like YOUR home!

Borrowers Beware! You WILL have to pay off all Snap grants according to the terms outlined in the deed. For my last clients, that meant that if they sold within 4 years they owed the entire 10K, PLUS back interest. 5 years, the full 10K with no back taxes. and then each additional year...8,6,4,2,0. Blah! What young family will be able to afford a home big enough to stay in for 10 years? Life happens. Kids come.

I want to state that the grant IS a really helpful. However, keep in mind that it will most likely cost you. These clients of mine went from a family of 2, to a family of 4 in 540 sq ft. The home that was a good fit was now WAY too small for two crazy boys. To sell, they had to beg, borrow over $12,000 to close. I ended up giving my commission to help make up the difference, but they still had a horrible weekend trying to make ends meet. There were alot of tears.

So, in summary:

If you are a buyer who is considering using the SNAP grant, use it with the knowledge that 10 yrs is 10 yrs. Make sure the home you choose is large enough to accommodate your needs for that period of time.

In my real estate experience (and life experience...) I have had countless issues with small picture issues and bumps. One way I get through them and advise my friends and clients to hang in there, is to keep the BIG picture in mind. The goal, the prize, the outcome.

When under stress, we can all get petty.

Case in point: Just last week, in the final stretch of a deal... I had to get two extensions of a closing date because of a lender who over promised and under delivered. My buyer was getting frantic and frustrated...and I asked her to visualize herself on the master bedroom balcony overlooking the mountains in her (almost) new home. She said " You are RIGHT!" I just need to get through this so I can get into my new home!

Her focus changed from the little picture to the BIG picture.

When dealing with the messy details of life, kids, work, pets, (the list is endless...) when your blood pressure starts to rise...remember the GOAL. As far as the stresses and strains of everyday details and the monotony therof, "This too shall pass". But relationships and memories are built on how you persevered, and how you make people feel, not on how you pushed your way through the small picture-ism's.

As you move through your day...your business and your unique challenges, take a moment to consider the BIG picture in each circumstance. It just might help you get through it - not only easier, but with a new found energy and appreciation for the end result.

Home buyers and Americans receiving unemployment benefits both got the word that a bit more money and time is coming their way. On Friday, President Obama signed into law a bill that extends unemployment benefits and the First Time Home Buyers tax credit, which is also being expanded to include benefits for home buyers who aren't on the first time around buying a home.

If purchasing a home is in the future for you or anyone you know, you can get all the details of the home buyer's tax credit in the upcoming week's Blog series. But first, here are a few additional details from last week...including important job market news. The official Jobs Report from last week showed that there were 190,000 jobs lost last month, higher than the 175,000 job losses that were predicted. It is really heartbreaking to imagine what 15,000 families now without at least one source of income looks like. That is overwhelming on a human level. i think it is easier to talk numbers rather than lives. Talking about lives puts a qhole new dynamic. (sniff) I guess that is why I prefer residential real estate over commercial. Real people, real lives.

Affordable Loan Modification, Washington

President Obama’s home loan modification program, created to help you save your home and avoid foreclosure, is a government program that was designed to allow every American home owner to access an affordable loan modification, and the current low mortgage interest rates. With mortgage interest rates now below 5%, it could make a huge difference in thousands of Washington homeowners' monthly mortgage payment.

By lowering your interest rate just one percent, distressed homeowners could save hundreds of dollars on your monthly mortgage payment. For this reason, many Washington homeowners are now hoping to take advantage of President Obama’s “Making Home Affordable Plan” and get a mortgage refinance or Loan Modification into a lowered fixed rate and monthly payments.

Nearly all Washington homeowners now qualify for an affordable home loan modification under the Obama Plan, which now demands that your payments cannot be higher than 31% of your gross income. Most borrowers now find themselves above this number and now qualify for mortgage assistance.

For those who now owe more on their home than it is worth, eligible loans include those where the first lien mortgage does not exceed 125 percent of the current market value of the property. According to the Making Home Affordable website, if your property is worth $200,000 but you owe $250,000 or less on your first lien mortgage you may qualify. The current market value of your property will be determined after you apply to refinance.

If you are at risk of foreclosure, participating servicers may not proceed with a foreclosure sale until you have been evaluated for a modification under HAMP, and, if eligible, offer you a trial modification. Every troubled Washington homeowner should immediately see if you qualify for an affordable loan modification under Obama's HAMP Program.

If your servicer is not participating in the HAMP Program, you should ask your servicer or a housing counselor about other workout options that may be available. Borrowers whose loans have been scheduled for foreclosure and all borrowers who have missed one or more mortgage payments should contact a mortgage mitigation service immediately.

Homeowners should never pay for information on or an evaluation for the Making Home Affordable Program. Beware of any person or organization that asks you to pay an upfront fee in exchange for mortgage mitigation information or a loan modification evaluation.