Make a Santa video!!!!
Have some fun and send it to your friends and family.
http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home?emst=J7hJPJNEUA_1314687_46797_7
Friday, December 20, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Holiday fun!!!
Try this at your next gift exchange party! So much fun!!
*INTRUCTIONS: GET
IN A CIRCLE, PASS GIFT PACKAGES RIGHT OR LEFT AS CUE WORDS ARE *
READ……
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The
Right Family Story
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||
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The
Right Family
Christmas
was almost here and Mother Right was finishing the Christmas baking. Father
Right, Sue Right, and Billy Right returned from their last-minute Christmas
errands. "There's not much left to be done," said Father Right as
he came into the kitchen.
"Did
you leave the basket of food at the church?" asked Mother Right. "I
left it right where you told me to," said Father Right. "I'm glad
my shopping is done," said Billy right. "I don't have any money
left."
The
hall telephone rang, and Susan Right left to answer it. She rushed right back
and told the family, "Aunt Tillie Right left a package for us right on
Grandma Right's front porch. I'll go over there right now and get it,"
she said as she left in a rush. Father Right left the kitchen and brought in
the Christmas tree.
By
the time Susan Right returned, Mother Right, Father Right, and Billy Right
had begun trimming the tree. The entire Right family sang carols as they
finished decorating. Then they left all the presents arranged under the tree
and went to bed, hoping they had selected the right gifts for their family.
Now
I hope you have the right present for yourself, because that's all that's
left of our story...except to wish you a merry Christmas... Isn't that
right??
From:
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Thursday, December 5, 2013
Great news on Short Sales.....
The good news just keeps continuing.
As we anticipated, C.A.R. today received a letter from the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), obtained by the State Board of Equalization, clarifying that California families who have lost their home in a short sale are not subject to state income tax liability on debt forgiveness “phantom income” they never received in a short sale.
Last month, in a letter to California Sen. Barbara Boxer, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognized that the debt written off in a short sale does not constitute recourse debt under California law, and thus does not create so-called “cancellation of debt” income to the underwater home seller for federal income tax purposes. Following the IRS’s clarification, C.A.R. sought a similar ruling by the California FTB. Now with the FTB’s clarification, underwater home sellers also are assured that they are not subject to state income tax liability, rescuing tens of thousands of distressed home sellers from California tax liability for debt written off by lenders in short sales.
We are pleased with the recent clarifications issued by the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board, which protect distressed homeowners from debt relief income tax associated with a short sale in California. We would like to thank Sen. Boxer and BOE member George Runner for their leadership in obtaining this guidance from the IRS and FTB. Distressed California homeowners can now avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy and can opt for a short sale instead, without incurring federal and state tax liability, even after the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 expires at the end of this year.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Thursday, November 21, 2013
OF THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BE THE NEXT PERSON TO MAKE A MOVE?
OF THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BE THE NEXT PERSON TO MAKE
A MOVE?
Here are the 5 ways I can help them with a successful
transition:
1)
Provide a comprehensive market analysis on the
home they are selling or provide market trends for the area they moving to.
2)
If they are “fixing up” to get ready to sell, I
can provide data on which projects will get the highest resale return on
dollars invested and help them to prioritize which projects are most important
to a buyer so they know how to get the most from their budget and sale.
3)
I can refer them to a list of quality people,
vendors and contractors to assist them with projects beyond their ability or
time constraints.
4)
I will advise them to speak with their financial
consultant for possible tax consequences of their sale.
5)
If they are buying, help them work with a local
professional to get prequalified for their loan and complimentary credit check
to make sure there are no issues to deal with, before they make a commitment.
This also puts buyers in a stronger bargaining position.
6)
If they are out of my immediate market area, I
will provide them with a list of professionals that will give them the same
great care that I would provide; personally.
Well, okay that’s 6 ways, BUT I always go the extra mile for
your referrals. All you have to do to help the people you care about is call or
email me, with their contact information. The sooner, the better, friends don’t
let friends talk to strangers and gamble with what is most likely their largest
asset or purchase. I look forward to hearing from you soon! I’m never too busy
for your referrals.
Sincerely,
Kerri
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Why You Should Consider Listing Your Home Over the Holidays
The holiday season can bring many stresses of its own without adding a home sale to the list. This can keep many sellers on the sidelines or send them pulling their houses off the market until the new year rings in.
But contrary to what you may think, this time of year can actually be a fantastic sweet spot for sellers. Holiday buyers are serious and motivated. Consumer confidence is higher than at any other time of year. And relocating families tend to have more time and reason to shop for a new home over the holidays.
Perhaps the biggest compelling reason the holidays are a good time to list your home is the simple fact that there are fewer homes on the market at this time of year, which means less competition.
In addition, limited inventory has driven up prices in many markets through the year. The national median price for existing homes was $199,200 in September, according to NAR's latest monthly statistics. That was up 11.7% from the same month a year ago and it was the 10th consecutive month of double-digit year-over-year growth.
Mortgage rates also play a factor in holiday home sales. We've been seeing a rise in rates, with Freddie Mac reporting its latest average on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was at 4.35%, up from 4.16% the previous week. Consecutive weekly climbs in interest rates tend to motivate buyers even more.
We know this first hand, and that's why we’ve created a special holiday program to help sellers navigate listing their home over the holidays without sacrificing their sanity or precious time with family.
Our Holiday Marketing Program is designed with seller privacy in mind. There are no for-sale signs in your yard, no lock boxes on your door, no open houses and no advertising identifying your home.
Instead, we’re offering to market your home to our sphere of serious buyers and show your home only by appointment. No fuss. No inconveniences. But you'll be able take advantage of opportunities you'd otherwise miss by waiting until the new year.
And on January 1, 2014, if your home has not sold, it will automatically convert to our exclusive home marketing program. You won't have to start from scratch.
We created this program because in our experience we know that there are a lot of opportunities for sellers over the holidays, but we understand why a homeowner would not want to deal with the stress of listing their home during this time.
If you're interested in learning more, ask an me for more information.
Happy Holidays!
But contrary to what you may think, this time of year can actually be a fantastic sweet spot for sellers. Holiday buyers are serious and motivated. Consumer confidence is higher than at any other time of year. And relocating families tend to have more time and reason to shop for a new home over the holidays.
Perhaps the biggest compelling reason the holidays are a good time to list your home is the simple fact that there are fewer homes on the market at this time of year, which means less competition.
In addition, limited inventory has driven up prices in many markets through the year. The national median price for existing homes was $199,200 in September, according to NAR's latest monthly statistics. That was up 11.7% from the same month a year ago and it was the 10th consecutive month of double-digit year-over-year growth.
Mortgage rates also play a factor in holiday home sales. We've been seeing a rise in rates, with Freddie Mac reporting its latest average on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was at 4.35%, up from 4.16% the previous week. Consecutive weekly climbs in interest rates tend to motivate buyers even more.
We know this first hand, and that's why we’ve created a special holiday program to help sellers navigate listing their home over the holidays without sacrificing their sanity or precious time with family.
Our Holiday Marketing Program is designed with seller privacy in mind. There are no for-sale signs in your yard, no lock boxes on your door, no open houses and no advertising identifying your home.
Instead, we’re offering to market your home to our sphere of serious buyers and show your home only by appointment. No fuss. No inconveniences. But you'll be able take advantage of opportunities you'd otherwise miss by waiting until the new year.
And on January 1, 2014, if your home has not sold, it will automatically convert to our exclusive home marketing program. You won't have to start from scratch.
We created this program because in our experience we know that there are a lot of opportunities for sellers over the holidays, but we understand why a homeowner would not want to deal with the stress of listing their home during this time.
If you're interested in learning more, ask an me for more information.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Housing Market Gains
Top Lenders Forecast Housing Market Gains Despite New Ability-to-Repay Rules
SAN FRANCISCO (November 10, 2013) – In a rare gathering of CEOs and senior executives from the biggest names in mortgage lending, Realtors® were told to expect market growth in 2014 and to prepare their buyers for transactions with heavy documentation requirements.
NAR President Gary Thomas and CEO Dale Stinton moderated the candid discussion today during the “Straight from the Top: Insights from Lending Leaders” session at the 2013 Realtors® Conference and Expo, where the top mortgage industry executives expounded on new regulatory hurdles that could temporarily restrict lending to some buyers, but will likely even out over time.
The Qualified Mortgage, or ability-to-repay rule, will become effective in January 2014 and contains a number of underwriting standards that will constrict mortgage availability and deny credit to some first-time homebuyers, said Bill Emerson, CEO of Quicken Loans. The QM rule requires significant documentation from consumers to justify lenders’ underwriting decisions; lenders face strict penalties if a loan is made outside of the specific criteria.
Kevin Watters, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, agreed that lower- and moderate-income buyers, as well as self-employed buyers who don’t have a consistent flow of income, might have a tougher time in the new lending environment. “We need to work together to help first-time buyers into affordable housing options.”
“It’s important for Realtors® to be educated about the new documentation requirements so they can work with buyers and meet lender expectations,” said Matt Vernon, home loan sales executive for Bank of America.
Mike Heid, president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, added that Wells Fargo is using new technologies to create learning tools to help consumers prepare to be homeowners, even before they find the house they love.
The new lending standards and documentation requirements are making some potential borrowers anxious about competing with cash buyers in the real estate market. Thomas asked the panelists to share their average approval timelines.
Vernon said that in California, Bank of America’s mortgage loan officers can process and approve loans in 16 days and always strive to quickly deliver approvals. He said that the approval process can move more swiftly when borrowers are educated about lender’s application requirements.
“Our mission is to get someone approved. With clarity and transparency, buyers will know exactly what is needed of them. We want to do this in a manner that is as stress free as possible for consumers and Realtors®,” said Emerson.
Heid agreed and said, “The way to compete against a cash buyer is to build a process that has no surprises as you go.”
Stinton turned the conversation to the debate over reforming the secondary mortgage market and asked the lenders whether they fear the risk of mortgage security “putbacks” and how that impacts underwriting. A putback occurs when a bank is liable for misrepresenting the creditworthiness of a borrower to the entity that buys the loan, and the bank is forced to buy back the mortgage.
Watters said fears over putbacks are real and Heid agreed. “The putback fear is still there and we’re working to put it to rest,” said Heid. “The time is right for that. If the government-sponsored enterprises weren’t in conservatorship, the issue of put backs wouldn’t be there. We need a world where everything is more of a natural market and we need competition with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The conservatorship should end.”
Thomas followed up by asking whether immediate steps should be taken to reduce the government role in the housing finance market. Emerson said that the security of their guarantee needs to stay, not the actual government entities.
“I think if we want the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, you need the government guarantee,” said Watters. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage needs the government guarantee because not all banks can soak up the size of the market.”
When asked whether private investors are ready to take a bigger role in the secondary mortgage market as the government’s footprint shrinks, the executives provided varied responses. Heid said that more certainty is needed before taking action.
“We’ve already started to do some private label securities,” said Watters. “People are getting back into the marketplace, which is a good thing. We might not be ready to take it all on, but we are headed in the right direction.”
The lending leaders unanimously agreed that consumers will see a healthy increase in the market next year, keeping pace with gains made in 2013. Mortgage originations will dominate the 2014 housing market as interest rates creep up and refinancing trends downward.
Heid said that while home values will continue to increase as the market continues to heal, the economy is the wild card and the downturn would be a game changer. “In spite of the economic crisis, Americans still want to be homeowners. That hasn’t changed one bit,” he said. “Homeownership is at the heart of what we do and that is worth preserving.”
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
NAR President Gary Thomas and CEO Dale Stinton moderated the candid discussion today during the “Straight from the Top: Insights from Lending Leaders” session at the 2013 Realtors® Conference and Expo, where the top mortgage industry executives expounded on new regulatory hurdles that could temporarily restrict lending to some buyers, but will likely even out over time.
The Qualified Mortgage, or ability-to-repay rule, will become effective in January 2014 and contains a number of underwriting standards that will constrict mortgage availability and deny credit to some first-time homebuyers, said Bill Emerson, CEO of Quicken Loans. The QM rule requires significant documentation from consumers to justify lenders’ underwriting decisions; lenders face strict penalties if a loan is made outside of the specific criteria.
Kevin Watters, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, agreed that lower- and moderate-income buyers, as well as self-employed buyers who don’t have a consistent flow of income, might have a tougher time in the new lending environment. “We need to work together to help first-time buyers into affordable housing options.”
“It’s important for Realtors® to be educated about the new documentation requirements so they can work with buyers and meet lender expectations,” said Matt Vernon, home loan sales executive for Bank of America.
Mike Heid, president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, added that Wells Fargo is using new technologies to create learning tools to help consumers prepare to be homeowners, even before they find the house they love.
The new lending standards and documentation requirements are making some potential borrowers anxious about competing with cash buyers in the real estate market. Thomas asked the panelists to share their average approval timelines.
Vernon said that in California, Bank of America’s mortgage loan officers can process and approve loans in 16 days and always strive to quickly deliver approvals. He said that the approval process can move more swiftly when borrowers are educated about lender’s application requirements.
“Our mission is to get someone approved. With clarity and transparency, buyers will know exactly what is needed of them. We want to do this in a manner that is as stress free as possible for consumers and Realtors®,” said Emerson.
Heid agreed and said, “The way to compete against a cash buyer is to build a process that has no surprises as you go.”
Stinton turned the conversation to the debate over reforming the secondary mortgage market and asked the lenders whether they fear the risk of mortgage security “putbacks” and how that impacts underwriting. A putback occurs when a bank is liable for misrepresenting the creditworthiness of a borrower to the entity that buys the loan, and the bank is forced to buy back the mortgage.
Watters said fears over putbacks are real and Heid agreed. “The putback fear is still there and we’re working to put it to rest,” said Heid. “The time is right for that. If the government-sponsored enterprises weren’t in conservatorship, the issue of put backs wouldn’t be there. We need a world where everything is more of a natural market and we need competition with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The conservatorship should end.”
Thomas followed up by asking whether immediate steps should be taken to reduce the government role in the housing finance market. Emerson said that the security of their guarantee needs to stay, not the actual government entities.
“I think if we want the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, you need the government guarantee,” said Watters. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage needs the government guarantee because not all banks can soak up the size of the market.”
When asked whether private investors are ready to take a bigger role in the secondary mortgage market as the government’s footprint shrinks, the executives provided varied responses. Heid said that more certainty is needed before taking action.
“We’ve already started to do some private label securities,” said Watters. “People are getting back into the marketplace, which is a good thing. We might not be ready to take it all on, but we are headed in the right direction.”
The lending leaders unanimously agreed that consumers will see a healthy increase in the market next year, keeping pace with gains made in 2013. Mortgage originations will dominate the 2014 housing market as interest rates creep up and refinancing trends downward.
Heid said that while home values will continue to increase as the market continues to heal, the economy is the wild card and the downturn would be a game changer. “In spite of the economic crisis, Americans still want to be homeowners. That hasn’t changed one bit,” he said. “Homeownership is at the heart of what we do and that is worth preserving.”
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Monday, November 11, 2013
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