Eva Bradley's Blog

I think the following article gives a very detailed explanation on the question what happened to all those homes that are sitting vacant and are causing the deterioration of neighborhoods and inviting crimes:

http://blog.firsttuesdayjournal.com/?p=2331

Please read and feel free to comment.

Buying bank owned properties
There is a lot of interest in buying bank owned properties these days. A lot of information, some good and some bad, is floating around about the subject.   Often the information offered is for sale, with the promise that you can make a lot of money with little effort once you know “the secret formula”.  The fact is that there are no secrets, and to make money does require effort.

What’s an REO?
REO stands for “Real Estate Owned”.  These are properties that have gone through foreclosure and are now owned by the bank or mortgage company.  This is not the same as a property up for foreclosure auction.  When buying a property during a foreclosure sale, you must pay at least the loan balance plus any interest and other fees accumulated during the foreclosure process.  You must also be prepared to pay with cash in hand.  And on top of all that, you’ll receive the property 100% “as is”.  That could include existing liens and even current occupants that need to be evicted.  A REO, by contrast, is a much “cleaner” and attractive transaction.  The REO property did not find a buyer during foreclosure auction.  The bank now owns it.  The bank will see to the removal of tax liens, evict occupants if needed and generally prepare for the issuance of a title insurance policy to the buyer at closing.  Do be aware that REO’s may be exempt from normal disclosure requirements.  In California, for example, banks are exempt from giving a Transfer Disclosure Statement, a document that normally requires sellers to tell you about any defects they are aware of.

Is it a bargain?
It’s commonly assumed that any REO must be a bargain and an opportunity for easy money.  This simply isn’t true.  You have to be very careful about buying a REO if your intent is to make money off of it.  While it’s true that the bank is typically anxious to sell it quickly, they are also strongly motivated to get as much as they can for it.  When considering the value of a REO, you need to look closely at comparable sales in the neighborhood and be sure to take into account the time and cost of any repairs or remodeling needed to prepare the house for resale.  The bargains with money making potential exist, and many people do very well buying foreclosures.  But there are also many REO’s that are not good buys and not likely to turn a profit.  A realtors involvement to buy REO, or any properties for that matter, is always good advise.

   Real Estate Updates – Newsletter for January, 2010

Market conditions for 2009

Looking at the year end statistics for Tracy, including the surrounding country area, 2009 wasn’t a bad year for the local real estate market at all, considering the status of real estate market nationally.

Following are the statistics for the month of December, 2009:

•  Actively listed properties: 208 -  This slightly higher than it was in November (182)
•   Homes with “Pending” status for the last week of December:25  - This is just a bit lower than it was for the same period in November (27) and mostly do to the holidays.
•  Number of homes “Sold” in the month of December: 148  – This is a 25% increase compared to the previous month!!! (111) Huge increase! … . Maybe do to the $8,000 Home Buyers’ Tax credit extension? ….
•  The Average Days on the market of the Sold Properties: 62  - This is an increase from the previous month (34)…almost doubled!

 The charts below reflecting these numbers as well:

The statistical report for the year of 2009 is also showing some stabilization: it looks much better in comparison to the past few years. Inventory of available homes was much lower, barely enough to satisfy the huge demand. Sales prices are showing a slight improvement as well. An average, 59% of all homes sold in 2009, where actively marketed for less than 30 days.

•  In 2009 the number of homes sold: 1958
•  Average Sales price: $225,260
•  Average days on the market before selling: 48
•  Listing Price v. sales Price : 101% (homes were sold 1% higher than the asking price)

The average sales prices of Sold homes have increased slightly towards the end of 2009.

If you would like to have more detailed statistics or for other areas of the Central Valley real estate market, please feel free to call or email me – I would be glad to provide it for you.

A prosperous, happy, healthy New Year to you all!

Image via Wikipedia

Gated Communities

The popularity of living in gated, or private communities has been rising in recent years. It used to be that gated communities were thought of as being only for the rich. But today they are becoming more and more popular with middle and upper middle class families. Security is usually given as the biggest reason for choosing to live in a gated community. Among the other reasons people are attracted to living in these communities are protecting property values and lifestyle.Many gated communities are designed with amenities built around a particular lifestyle, with golf courses, tennis, swimming pools, or equestrian facilities.Gated communities are usually located on some of the most desirable land in the area. Prime land, combined with careful planning and HOA rules create an environment where home values hold up extremely well.

 Aside from the gates or walls, the second most defining characteristic of gated or private communities is the Homeowner’s Association (HOA).The HOA is made up of all the owners of the development. The HOA is responsible for collection of the Association fees and making and enforcing the “rules” of the community.It is often also responsible for maintaining the public aspects of the community, such as streets, security, parks, etc.

The rules set by the HOA can vary a great deal, depending on the individual development.Typically the HOA will have rules pertaining to upkeep and appearance of homes within the development, specifying the colors of paint on outside walls, types of fencing, guidelines for landscaping and storage of boats or recreational vehicles.

 Gated communities aren’t for everyone. But with strong protection of property values, increased security, less traffic and amenities for your specific lifestyle, they are appealing to more people each year.

See a list of available local condominiums here: http://bit.ly/5vnbHw

Most of us are affected by the downturn of the economy in more then one direction, but nobody feels it more than a small business owner. 

Small companies are the backbone of our economy and most of them are struggling; trying to safe money to pay the employees and bills when job orders are practically none existent, is staggering chore for a family operated business or small enterprise.  The last thing on their mind is to give out money  for advertisement.

 This gave me the idea of promoting a few of these local small businesses on my website, to give them a little bit of exposure, as sort of like my “good deed for this Holiday Season”:  It is my pleasure to introduce to you Allegiance Roofing, Inc,.

Allegiance Roofing is a family owned business:  Susan Tanupo and her husband Sako Tanupo own this company since 2000 and were, until recently, operating mainly in the San Jose area. 

A little over a year ago, Susan and Sako moved to Tracy and would like to serve the Tracy and surrounding areas as well.  So, please give them a call when you need a roof or gutter repairs next time and give them a chance to work a little closer to home.

You can reach Susan and Sako by calling 877-roof-344 or by emailing to allegianceroofing@comcast.net

Please visit their website www.allegianceroofing.net for more detailed information.

What is your “good deed of this Holiday Season”?  Please feel free to share it with me….

                                                                                                                   Eva Bradley

The Cost Of Your Mortgage Loan

The same care and consideration you give to finding the right house should be applied to your search for the right mortgage lender. For most home-buyers a major determining factor in selecting a lender is the cost of the mortgage loan.

But how do you determine the cost of a mortgage loan?

Shopping for a Mortgage Loan

While most buyers concentrate on interest rates, it is best to look at all the costs associated with a mortgage loan. Mortgage loans include the quoted interest rate, points and closing costs.

But how do you determine the cost of a mortgage loan?

Shopping for a Mortgage Loan

While most buyers concentrate on interest rates, it is best to look at all the costs associated with a mortgage loan. Mortgage loans include the quoted interest rate, points and closing costs.

More than Just Interest

A number of fees are associated with the mortgage loan, including:

• Appraisal - A carefully documented opinion of value by a licensed, professional appraiser.
• Credit Report – A detailed report of your credit, employment and residence history prepared by a credit bureau.
• Principal – The amount owed on a mortgage which does not include interest or other fees.
• Document Fees, Loan Fees and Processing Fees – Miscellaneous fees charged by the lender.
• Discount Points – Points paid in addition to the loan origination fee to get a lower interest rate. (1 point = 1 percent of loan amount)
• Origination Points – the total number of points paid by the borrower at closing. (1 point = 1 percent of loan amount)

Interest Rate – A percentage of a loan or mortgage value that is paid to the lender as compensation for loaning fund

Using the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) to Compare Mortgage Loans

The APR was designed to help borrowers understand the relative costs of a mortgage loan. The APR takes into account the various fees associated with the loan, which is why it is often higher than the interest rate. Understand that not all lenders calculate a loan’s APR in the same way. That is why this should be only one of the factors used in selecting the best mortgage for you.

Locking-in Interest Rates

Another factor to consider when selecting a lender is whether the lender will lock-in the mortgage’s interest rate and points. Click here to learn more about lock-in options.

Read here about “Mortgage Saving Tips“

This is what you will hear from realtors in the following weeks, all over the country:  The time to buy a house is now! 

Interest rates are at historical low levels, home prices are very affordable; it just doesn’t get any better than this.  If you were waiting for the bottom, this is it!

Please read the article below; NAR (National Association of Realtors) finally has some good news to report on the housing front: 

Big gain on existing homes sales

Mello-Roos Taxes

Mello-Roos taxes are assessed to special tax districts, known as Mello-Roos Districts or Community Facilities Districts, for the purpose of financing public services and/or facilities including streets, police protection, fire protection, elementary schools, parks, libraries, museums, and cultural facilities.

California State Senator Henry Mello and Assemblyman Mike Roos spearheaded the successful passage of the Mello-Roos Community Facilities District Act in 1982. The Act passed in response to Proposition 13 (enacted in 1978), which limited the ability of local governments and developers to finance new projects.

Mello Roos District
The Mello-Roos act authorized any county, city, special district, school district or joint powers of authority to create a Mello Roos District with approval of a two-thirds margin of qualified voters in the district.

Property Owners
The Mello Roos District can issue bonds to pay for public improvements. The district’s property owners are responsible for payment of a “special tax” to repay these bonds. The act allows for considerable flexibility on how the special tax is calculated. The calculation often takes into account property characteristics such as square footage of the home and parcel size. Typically, the tax is included with your general property tax bill.

Time Limit
The special Mello-Roos tax stays in effect as long as needed to repay the principal and interest on the special bond along with any reasonable administrative costs. The Mello Roos tax may not stay in effect for a period longer than 40 years.

Property Sale
An increased value of the property does not affect the amount of the tax when property is sold.

Where in Tracy?   Homes built before 1982 are free of Mello Ross Taxes. In newer areas of Tracy a couple of home builders paid all Mello Ross taxes in advance, so homeowners don’t have to worry about it.  Please feel free to contact me if you would like to know which areas in Tracy are without Mello Ross taxes.                                                                     

In my opinion, this is a step in the right direction, taken by Fannie Mae.  I can only hope that other lenders will follow this.  It will help homeowners to stay in their homes after the foreclosure and at the same time it will stabilize neighborhoods and keep homes in better shape.

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/bxVq9

My husband and I live on the outskirt of Tracy, in midst of country properties. Most of the homes are sitting here on one to two acres, so homes are pretty far set from each other.  Our neighborhood is very quite, rarely any chance to talk to anyone. 

It was a Thursday afternoon, garbage pick up day. My husband, John, is a cautious and alert guy, receptive to any changes. As he was coming home from work noticed that our only neighbor on the right side, a retired gentleman who lived alone, still had his garbage tote out front, which was unusual.  He always took care of it right after the garbage truck left, but not on this day. 

John pulled the tote into the drive way, not sure where he supposed to put it.  He was thinking that there is something not right; maybe our neighbor got sick, or he is gone for a few days, or who knows what.  

As he was getting closer to the entrance, our neighbor opened his front door and asked my husband why he does this.  My dear husband replied:  it was so out of routine for him to leave the garbage can outside, that John got worried, thinking perhaps something wasn’t right.  The man was obviously so surprised, he couldn’t find words right away.  He was thanking John for being such a caring neighbor and said that he would have never thought anyone is looking out for him.  Right there he made a promise to pay more attention to us and the surrounding neighbors from now on.

 Folks, you never know what will happen in the future; you may need such caring action form your neighbor or you may not.  Nevertheless, neighbors are important, not only because they might help you some day, but because they are the ones, along with you, who are shaping your neighborhoods to be desirable and giving value to your homes and to the area where you live.   So, when next time one of the homes around you will be listed for sale, the Realtor can, with good conscience, write it into the marketing “Located in a Very Nice, Established Neighborhood” without hesitance, because it will be the truth.