Short Sale or Foreclosure?
Is a Loan Modification for Me?
August 9, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
A number of considerations should be made when you are either in trouble already with your current mortgage, or anticipate that you might be soon. One excellent option might be a loan modification, which is designed to reduce the amount of your mortgage payment to no more than 31% of your gross income. Unfortunately as [...]
Should You Refinance Your Home?
August 9, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
If you feel you have sufficient income to continue making payments on your home, but need to lower the payments, one of the best choices — providing current interest rates are justifiably less than your existing rate — is to refinance the home. By refinancing, you may be able to remain with your existing lender, [...]
7 Tips for Short Sale Success
August 1, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
Another easy-to-understand article about selling short sales! Thanks to BuyAndSell.HouseLogic.com, By: G. M. Filisko, Published originally on March 19, 2010 Have to sell your home for less than it’s worth? Our seven tips will help you get the best price. When you owe more on your home than it’s worth, but you have to sell, you need to [...]
Foreclosure Sales Account for 31 Percent of All Residential Sales in First Quarter 2010
July 20, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
Foreclosure Sales Account for 31 Percent of All Residential Sales in First Quarter According to New Report From RealtyTrac. As an active short sale broker, assisting both buyers and sellers of short sale properties, I consider it a critical party of my job to help keep all parties involved and informed. A recent statistical article by [...]
6 Tips for Buying a Home in a Short Sale
June 3, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
I was recently forwarded this article about buying short sales and thought it was good enough to share! Thanks to BuyAndSell.HouseLogic.com, By: G. M. Filisko, Published originally on March 19, 2010 By preparing for a real estate short sale, you can emerge with a great home at a favorable price. When sellers need to sell their [...]
Fannie & Freddie Adopt HAFA Short Sales Guidelines
June 3, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now allowing struggling homeowners with loans backed by the government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs, to sell their properties through a Short Sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure if they can’t get a loan modification, officials announced this week. GSE loans were excluded from the Treasury’s Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program’s [...]
Want to Buy or Sell in Auburn, WA? Better Use an Experienced Short Sale Agent!
May 18, 2010 by Gabrielle · 6 Comments
At a recent Short Sale and Foreclosure class, I observed that possibly over 70% of agents in the greater Seattle/Bellevue/Tacoma area have never handled a short sale or bank-owned (foreclosure) property on either the buyer or seller side. Now that may be okay in some areas of King County, but as you work your way south into the [...]
Certified Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource
May 18, 2010 by Gabrielle · 2 Comments
I recently completed requirements by the National Association of Realtors to receive certification as a Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource, although I’ve been assisting buyers and sellers of these types of properties since 2004. Taking the certification class was a fascinating experience – of the group of approximately 50 agents present, fewer than 30% of [...]
Bank Rejected our Offer, Then Auctioned
January 23, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
Sometimes the decisions of banks make absolutely no sense in the short sale world. The bank rejected a solid offer on this house, then auctioned it for significantly less money. Go figure. With almost 2000 square feet, you’ll love this rambler home with step-up bonus room in Timber Hills! Walk through the front door to the [...]
What Sold in Auburn, WA in 2009?
January 20, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
Yes, homes and other properties DID sell in Auburn in 2009. From an agent’s standpoint, the business of real estate felt slower until Fall, then things started jumping like mad! I know from my own business that every single sale was a lot of work — always gratifying, but whew! The start of real estate in [...]
Watch Your Credit Score If You Do a Loan Modification!
January 19, 2010 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
This morning I was startled to read an article in RIS Media, an information service that scans the news services and gathers articles impacting real estate — for homeowners, buyers and for agents — reporting that Credit Scores are being reduced as much as 100 points for successful Loan Modifications! Loan Modifications are one avenue that [...]
Will Short Sales FINALLY Become Reasonable?
December 3, 2009 by Gabrielle · Leave a Comment
As a busy agent in the south King County area and down into the Tacoma/Puyallup Pierce County areas, I both list properties for Sellers and assist Buyers in finding their “dream home,” whether it be a first time purchase or a repeat purchase. While definitely not unique to these geographic areas, price points and demographics of buyers and [...]
