Antioch CA – Bank of America is rolling out a new short sale program that will provide the quickest route to a short sale decision. The bank came up with this programs to help ensure that homeowners are able to explore all their options and avoid foreclosure. This program, named the Bank of America Cooperative Short Sale Program, minimizes the challenges of traditional short sales – such as having to wait up to 60 days for a representative to even be assigned to your sale. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. A cooperative short sale starts with a phone call from the homeowner to the bank. The homeowner explains to the bank that he or she has suffered a hardship, and will no longer be able to make the mortgage payments. The... 01/31/2012

    Antioch CA – You should put every little thing you have to show that your situation is real and that you cannot afford to make your mortgage payment. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Use numbers and percentages to explain the loss your of income or negative cash flow. For example, instead of saying “I’m borrowing money to make the mortgage payments”, disclose the dollar amount and source of that debt. A good example would be: “I’ve borrowed $10,000 against my VISA card to make my payments over the past 6 months, and I have tapped my cards to the maximum.” You need to paint the worst picture that you honestly can. If your car needs maintenance or repair, if the cat has cancer and your vet bills are increasing, if your ki... 01/26/2012

  Antioch CA – It is not a lot of fun to write a hardship letter. In fact, it can be depressing. Many people may not know how bad their lives have become until they reach a point of writing a hardship letter. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Sometimes seeing all those awful things in writing is startling and some people start crying. However, do not turn and start talking about how your life will improve. Do “NOT” share your hopes and dreams for the future with the bank. It’s none of the bank’s business. If there is hope on the horizon, if there is a chance for recovery and for you to become whole again, then the bank will not hesitate to grab a knife and plunge it into your heart. If your bank senses anything that shows th... 01/25/2012

  Antioch CA – When I interview sellers who want to short sale in my area, I ask them to describe their hardship. Agents who do a lot of short sales can sometimes become a little insensitive because we are focused on the statistics. For instance, when a seller says she is getting divorced, it’s possible that I may not show a lot of emotion. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Then I realize how that comes across, which is not at all in the way I intended it. Trying to do a short sale or loan mod because of relationship difficulties is acceptable to most bank guidelines. It’s not good news that the you and your spouse are splitting up. But, it is important for your lender to know. In your hardship letter, you want to explain 3 ... 01/24/2012

    Do you have questions about Real Estate in Antioch, Ca and the surrounding communities?   ASK Realtor Rick 01/24/2012

Country Hills living in Antioch, CA? Antioch has a myriad of wonderful neighborhoods, and Country Hills is one of those communities. Centrally located off of Hillcrest Avenue, Country Hills in Antioch has a country feel yet is within close proximity to so many amenities! One of the unique features of Country Hills is that there are lovely walking trails that take you to the Antioch skate park, a great favorite with teens, as well as to the Antioch Water Park. The homes in Country Hills are comfortable and cozy, comprised of two story as well as single story homes. Some homes in the area have updated kitchens with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The homes in Country Hills  were built in the 1990's and may have Antioch Mello Roos Tax attached to them. Knoll Park located a... 01/24/2012

Williamson Ranch in Antioch, CA? Williamson Ranch in Antioch, CA. is a much sought after area for prospective home buyers in Antioch. Williamson Ranch is one of very few communities in Antioch that has several tri-level homes. These homes are very popular and most have a wonderful bonus/game/theater room on the bottom floor as well as three bedrooms. Generally the top floors of these homes in Williamson Ranch have a Master Bedroom, a kitchen with a slider door which leads to a nice deck with enough room for a nice bistro table to enjoy morning coffee or any other time of day. Also on the same floor, you will usually find comfortable living space, including a family room with a nice fireplace. Williamson Ranch in Antioch is located near Lone Tree Rd. situated close to many nearby ameniti... 01/24/2012

Hibernate at Bear Ridge in Antioch, CA? While looking for a home to purchase in Antioch you may want to consider hibernating at Bear Ridge. This phenomenal neighborhood is located on a ridge with incredible views of Antioch, the Delta and the San Joaquin River. Bear Ridge is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Antioch. Bear Ridge consists of single story and two story homes built in the 1990's. Many homes built in Antioch after 1989 generally do have an Antioch Mello Roos Tax attached to them. Some of the homes at Bear Ridge in Antioch have been updated and have beautiful backyard pools for summer time enjoyment. 's Bear Ridge is truly a great neighborhood for today's busy lifestyle. Antioch schools are near by, with colleges and universities within close proximity to Bear Ridge ... 01/24/2012

Blossom in Wildflower in Antioch, CA? Wildflower in Antioch is a wonderful neighborhood. It is located on a hillside with great views, perfect to come home to after a day at the office. Most homes in the Wildflower subdivision were built in the mid to late 1980's. According to the Contra Costa County Tax Office, homes built prior to 1989 generaly do not have an Antioch Mello Roos Tax. Wildflower has single story as well as two story homes. The lots in Wildflower in Antioch are generally smaller, and are perfect for those who want less yard work and more time to enjoy their home. Antioch schools are in close proximity and there are many fine private schools in Antioch as well. There are many colleges and universities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area that are within driving distance ... 01/24/2012

  Antioch CA – Many people think a hardship is mainly based on financial matters and that is not necessarily the case. Anything that makes it difficult for you to keep on making a mortgage payment might qualify to be a hardship. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. One thing that the bank doesn’t want to see is a homeowner who seems to be looking for a way out simply because the home is not worth the amount the owner paid for it. Being upside-down is one of the qualifications for a short sale but a bank may not grant a short sale solely on that basis. If your life looks unchanged since you took the loan, the bank might say you can afford to stay in your home at your present payment level. If your situation has changed, here are... 01/23/2012

Buying a Home in Antioch Ca – Three Things Impacting Price – Part 3 There are so many variables when Buying a Home it is hard to figure out how all the variables should impact the value of any one house. These numbers are based on sales of Single Family Homes in Antioch in December 2011. One thing that impacts the Price of an Antioch Home on a SF basis is the type of sale. Short Sales tend to be cheapest on a square foot basis, followed by Bank Owned Homes, and then Traditional Sales are the most expensive. Take a look at this chart. Remember variables of size and age as discussed in the prior to post in this series are important too. Traditional Sales will tend to be in much better shape. Naturally other variables such as lot size, location, condition and such will also impact the Pric... 01/22/2012

Buying a Home in Antioch Ca – Three Things Impacting Price – Part 2 There are so many variables when Buying a Home it is hard to figure out how all the variables should impact the value of any one house. These numbers are based on sales of Single Family Homes in Antioch in December 2011. One thing that impacts the Price of an Antioch Home on a SF basis is the age of a home. Generally the older a home the less it will cost on a SF basis. Look at the attached Chart. Now generally the older Antioch Homes on this chart would seem to be cheaper on a SF basis, but prices tend to drop of on a SF basis again for the newer Antioch Homes. That is because there are other variables and trends that also effects the price. Those two variables would be size and the type of sale. Older homes tend to be... 01/22/2012

Buying a Home in Antioch Ca – Three Things Impacting Price – Part 1 There are so many variables when Buying a Home it is hard to figure out how all the variables should impact the value of any one house. These numbers are based on sales of Single Family Homes in Antioch in December 2011. One thing that impacts the Price of an Antioch Home on a SF basis is the size of a home. Generally the smaller a home the more it will cost on a SF basis. Look at the attached Chart. Now some smaller Antioch Homes on this chart would seem to be cheaper on a SF basis, but another variable also effects the price – that is the age of a home and smaller homes tend to be older. We will look at those numbers in my next post. Naturally other variables such as lot size, location, condition and such will also im... 01/21/2012

   Do you have questions about Real Estate in Antioch, Ca and the surrounding communities?   ASK Realtor Rick 01/21/2012

    Antioch CA – The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from Dan. Here was his question. “My property is in rough shape and needs work. Can I still do a Short Sale? Dan.” Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Here was our answer to his question. You can still do a short sale. It is a fact that lenders are more motivated to do a short sale on a property that needs repairs than on a property that doesn’t. Most lenders understand that the risk of loss goes up when they foreclose on a property that needs lots of work. Here is an easy way to get a discount approved for a short sale. Show your lender that a lot of repair work is needed to bring the property back up to a marketable condition so it can be sold. Lend... 01/19/2012

Why Meadow Creek Estates in Antioch? Mosing around to settle down at Meadow Creek Estates in Antioch and you will be impressed. Homes for sale in Meadow Creek Estates in Antioch are situated in a lovely area. Meadow Creek Estates in Antioch is a great neighborhood to settle down. Many of the homes are designed with separate family rooms adjacent to the kitchen for family camaraderie. Numerous homes in Meadow Creek Estates in Antioch have just "the right size yard", enough for the children to play in, but not too much that the upkeep is overwhelming. The neighborhood is comprised of single family homes and mature landscaping. The homes at Meadow Creek Estates in Antioch were primarily built in the 1990's and they may have an Antioch Mello Roos Tax attached to them. If you are mosing arou... 01/19/2012

    Antioch CA – The type of hardship that your lender will consider legitimate depends on the mortgage company considering the Short Sale request. In general, so long as the hardship is real & acceptable and the mortgage company believes the loan is likely to become delinquent. As a result, the Short Sale request will be processed by the Loss Mitigation Department. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. A big key to getting your lender to accept a hardship is to submit a strong hardship letter. The hardship letter sets the tone for the entire file. This letter must be honest and represent the facts clearly. It must prove to them that the situation that caused you to fall behind was temporary and you are now in a position to make... 01/18/2012

Antioch CA – With a forbearance agreement, your bank agrees to hold back on its legal right to exercise foreclosure on you. They do this by coming up with a plan to bring you current on your mortgage payments after giving you some kind of a breather period.Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure.In Forbearance, your mortgage payments are either reduced or suspended for a time agreed on by your lender.After the Forbearance period, you will be expected to resume making old payments plus make some additional partial payments to cover the arrears and eventually get the loan current.Banks may stipulate that you make a single, lump sum payment by a given date to cover the missed payments.The mortgage company may be willing to grant forbe... 01/17/2012

Music Events in Antioch, CA. Being a part of the greater San Francisco Bay Area where music and culture abound, music events in Antioch are plentiful. Antioch lies in Contra Costa County in an area otherwise known as "East County". There is an influx of eclectic music genres, including jazz, blues, rap, opera and everything in between. Music events in Antioch are embraced by natives of Antioch and neighboring cities as well as from other locations in the Bay Area. The many music events in Antioch reach a variety of audiences and are all stellar. One of these stellar music events in Antioch is soon approaching with much anticipation from music lovers. The Delta Blues Festival Benefit Concert is to enable the Delta Blues Festival planned for September 15th, 2012 to continue in its time ho... 01/17/2012

Houses with pools in Antioch, CA. Yes there are houses with pools in Antioch, CA. They are especially beneficial with the wonderful Delta weather and they are certainly coveted! Warm weather generally arrives in Antioch in mid to late April and continues through Summer and the majority of Autumn. The weather in Antioch is quite mild for the majority of the year. According to Weather.com the average temperature in Antioch during April is 75 degrees, Summer temps 86-90 degrees and Autumn runs 77-86 degrees. Perfect weather to be owning a house with a pool in Antioch. Pools are not only great for the health benefits of swimming, but also for spending quality time with family. In our high tech world we often tend to spend less time quality time with our family. However, a house with a pool ... 01/17/2012