It's not every day that I can say that sold home was the best deal in Merced in the past year, let alone 2 years. Today is that day! My clients were looking to purchase a home with their son who goes to UC Merced. After looking with another agent and making a series of offers that went nowhere he came to me and asked for brutal honesty. He asked me what I was seeing in the market and what it would take to purchase a home less than $80,000. Fortunately the answers he was looking for is exactly what we practice as part of our "You're The Focus" real estate services. When it comes to real estate and working with our clients it's all about setting expectations. We don't want our clients to fail and with this in mind we set buyer and seller expectations from the start of our relationship. ... 09/19/2011

Rates continue to be historically low so it’s a great time to buy. The tricky part is that short sales remain high and although the short sale success rate has been going up we are seeing some long waits of 60 days plus just for a decision to a buyer’s offer. In addition some sellers are making it difficult for the listing agent to provide exposure of the home. Once listed the goal of any agent and seller is to receive offers at the highest price possible. However many sellers are limiting access to the house to restricted days or times. This past week I made several calls setting up appointments but often was told that Seller X didn’t return their call or that Seller X was only available to show it on Sunday between 5 and 7pm. An agents job is to get the home sold. It still amazes me ... 09/19/2011

Find a home in Stockton, Modesto & Merced Our central California home search sites at http://www.stockton-home-search.info/ & http://www.central-california-homes-for-sale.info/Clients want home search tools and we offer access to the local MLS at no charge. Call us if we can help...or  to view these homes. http://www.sacramento-home-search.com/ 07/02/2011

We have entered a very popular time of the year for moving as school will soon end and many sellers and buyers consider relocating or upgrading even downsizing. It's a great time to purchase a home as interest rates remain low (currently 4.75% FHA financing on qualified buyers) and home prices in Merced and Atwater remain affordable. A snap shot into our market reveals that currently we have approximately 352 homes listed for sale in Merced (277) and Atwater (75). Area inventory is  around 2 ½ months and homes priced well are receiving offers during the first few days. For buyers looking for a deal this means moving fast usually the same day a home is listed because if you wait you'll find multiple offers have been made on the property. Another challenge buyer's face is investors paying... 05/05/2011

  Both the fed and the adjustable are great reverse mortgages, but before you jump the gun and pronounce the fixed rate reverse the winner.  There are some things to know about the adjustable.The adjustable rate reverse is the reverse that allows you to take your money in differing ways:  A line of credit, or monthly payments (either term or tenure), all cash or a combination of all methods.  With the fixed, you must take all the money up front. (Which means you start to accrue interest on the entire amount borrowed)Here’s some things to consider: If you need the most amount of money to payoff an existing mortgage, the fixed is a good fit. If you have a small or no current mortgage and are looking to supplement income, the adjustable is probably the best fit. There is also a newer, lowe... 04/20/2011

Can Older Homebuyers Finance a Home Purchase with a Reverse Mortgage? FHA Reverse Mortgages have been available for financing a primary residence since 2009.  Still a relatively new way to buy a home they are becoming more popular. Last month it was reported that 2 out of 3 reverse for purchase buyers were first time home-buyers.   SRES agents as well as reverse mortgage consultants are motivated about the opportunity to work not only with seniors, but first time home-buyers to boot! Too fun.When working on a reverse for purchase it is important to work with your reverse mortgage consultant (RMC)  to help determine the buyers maximum purchase price.  Using the age of the youngest borrower, current rates and the amount of money you have available for down payment and closing costs, your... 03/28/2011

Wow what a bizarre encounter I had today while viewing homes with my client. We went to a semi-rural area not entirely farms, mostly 1/2 acre lots on the edge of the downtown area of Merced, California. Now I must say that before going the listing agent informed me that there was a pet duck on the property and to not get too close to the said duck. We arrived at the property and the lockbox was located on the back door entrance to the home. I looked out into the yard and spotted this rather large white duck. Thinking nothing of it I proceeded to unlock the door. Just then the large duck started waddling over to us. The slow waddle turned to a quick scamper which in turn led us to quicken our entry into the home. We heard the duck peck or should I say knock or really I don't know what to... 03/09/2011

    Another successful Wachovia Bank short sale.  This one was in Merced Ca.  I would like to thank Heather at Stewart Title, Chris with Wachovia and my escrow coordinator Liz for the great job they all did on this one. Thanks also to the buyers agent Tony. And a special thanks to  Mario.     The sellers on this property also received $2500 from Wachovia bank for moving expenses.  Wachovia is one of the best banks to work with on Short Sales.  We usually have an answer from Wachovia within 7-10 days after submitting the offer. See my other short sale listings here.   08/30/2010

Beware of the foreclosure rescue scams! The Federal Government provides free resources to get you the help you need. Call the Homeower's "HOPE" Hotline to get the help you need at 1-888-995-HOPE(4673) and ask about infromation Making Home Affordable Program. You can also go to www.makinghomeaffordable.gov to learn more about it. Just so you know ,the Obama Administration has launched a coordinated effort across Fedaral and State Government and the private sector to get loan monification Fraud and foreclosure recue acams that threaten to hurt many American homeowners and prevent them from getting the help they need during these challenging times. 01/11/2010

FHA 203k or not to 203k, not every home is a prospectThis is where you learn what propreties won't qualify for a 203k loan.Years ago I was called to Merced CA to preform a 203k consultation. Imagine how disappointed I was when just wasn't a feasible property for rehab. it had everything wrong with it. Framing was 2 x 2" with 3/8" asbestos board on the exterior in sheets about 3'x5' as I remember. This was built right after WWII. As if this wasn't enough they were built on patio slabs and there were no footings around the perimeter of the foundation. Had they had enough money to do it right I was planning to dig a footing all around the outside perimeter and install a perimeter foundation and build a totally new home just outside the existing home, then remove the home left inside. the b... 09/19/2009

Today in our business lives our schedule sometimes just seems too demanding. Normally it is not our schedule that is so demanding. It is the matter of improper planning and prioritizing. I spend the first fifteen minutes of everyday making a list of things I need to accomplish in that day. Prioritizing most important tasks for the day first. I mark off what I accomplish as I accomplish it. I do not always finish the list of accomplishments but with prioritizing the most important tasks are achieved first. Whatever is not done begins my goals for tomorrow. Once you begin holding yourself accountable for finishing these things many times I find out I can accomplish fifty percent more in one day. So many people walk around not knowing what to do. i wonder if there can be 36 hours in a day ... 04/30/2008

Credit Unions are nonprofit financial cooperatives that offer members many of the services provided by banks. They vary in strength, size, and assets. Membership requirements vary according to the institution, and may be based on occupation, geography, employer , or some other requirement. Credit unions generally have lower overhead expenses than commercial banks, and can usually offer more attractive savings interest rates and loan rates than commercial banks do. Deposits are protected by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, a federal agency that insures credit unions the same way the FDIC insures banks. Generally the level of financial expertise and credentials is lower at a credit union than at a commercial bank. 04/20/2008

Wouldn't we all agree that we would all like to save money on our mortgages? There is a very simple concept that some of you may know about and some of you may not. Surprisingly some people have still never heard about it. If you are in an average thirty year amortized mortgage you will pay 25% or more for your house than if you had used this system.Banks calculate interest on mortgage loans, you have to pay for the loan approximately for nine years before you begin making any significant reduction in the amount that you owe. In your first year of paying on your mortgage say its $100,000 at a payment of $1,000 per month. At the end of that period you would only have dented your principal by approximately $400.00 total. We pay interest first and we pay it in arrears so were always paying... 04/20/2008

Hello, my name is Keith Goodman and I am with GI Group, LLC. My brother and partner Royal Goodman and I work together. We are looking for someone to provide us with as direct a contact as we can get for large purchases of REO's. We have buyer after buyer. The challenge. is that we have only found 1 compiler that has original real REO'S. I'm sure you know what I say when I say real. I have picked up REO tapes that I was told were real that my client has seen over the last month or so. These are not real. The one source we found we are very happy with. She provided us with a 1 B REO package 33+3. We will close this week on that one. She was very fast on this one and I feel confident that we will have a very long and lasting relationship with her. However just in case I would like to have ... 04/20/2008

The fresh aroma of Spring is finally in the air. I can smell it early in the morning. It always smells so refreshing. Its also time to start reccomending to our clients their curb appeal to their home. As we all know, first impressions mean everything. If I am going to take a client to go see one of my listings I would first make sure that my home sellers understand the importance of curb apeal. A manicured lawn is of the utmost importance. If there are flowerbeds they should be overflowing with flowers. Annuals are my favorite for one reason they are easy to keep up. But whatever your flower of choice is just make sure your house stands out in your mind more than any other house on the block. Going along with that curb appeal is to always make sure that you have a front door like no ot... 04/20/2008

Do you have a big problem with "taggers" or people that write graffiti all over your houses, fences, businesses, warehouses, billboards. I coulld go on and on. They have absolutely no consideration for the owners of these buildings or respect for their community. In my opinion I think that every time one of these people are caught painting on something they should be forced to first repaint over what they painted on and put it back into the same condition that it was before they started. After that give them community service to paint 40 hours per week for one month so they wont be so tempted next time. You know the truly sad part of the whole thing is is that a lot of these kids or adults that do this tagging are actually pretty gifted as an artist. If they would use some of that negat... 04/20/2008

One of the best ways to market clients for your First Time Home Buyer Programs is to go to all of the higher end Apartment Complexes. You will be absolutely astounded at the amount of rent some of these people pay on some of these upper end apartments. Some have gated communities, weight rooms, numerous swimming pools, security guards, indoor laundry hookups, you name it and they have it. What they dont realize is for just about what they are paying for rent at these apartments they could be making a payment on their own house. After you explain very briefly in the form of a flyer, door hanger etc the benefits of Buying vs Owning there should be no question. It for the most part will be a no brainer. As far as being concerned about credit to get into one of those upper end apartments th... 04/19/2008

I cannot remember who gave me this but I would like to share it with everyone as an inspiration.This is a prayer that may be just what someone needs today.May God pour out a blessing that there is not room enough to receive it.May you have $0.00 balances on all your bills FINANCIAL SALVATION FOR 2008. We can all use this. Here is your financial salvation!The Prayer: Heavely Father, Most Gracious and Loving God, I ask that You will abundantly bless my family and I. I know that You recognize that a family is more than just a mother and father, sister and brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You.Father, I pray this request for financial blessing for me and all who join me in this message. And that the power of joined prayer by those who believe and trust in you is mo... 04/19/2008

It does not take a financial genius to discover the magic of compound interest. Being in the Real Estate and Commodities business I have seen so many people struggle three to four months out of every year. They always say that the more you make the more you spend. This does not have to be the case.I have seen so many people make 150-200K in a year. At the end of the year they are complaining that they dont have money for Christmas. This astounds me. My Dad always said that it doesnt matter how much you make. What matters is how much you keep. Sure you may have an 08 Benz in the driveway but you can barely afford the payments. The philosophy I have on income is this. Pay God first. Pay yourself second. Pay the bills third. Whatever is left play with it. Go out to dinner with the family. ... 04/19/2008

A lot of times many sellers of distressed properties find themselves in the position of having to carry the financing for the buyer. Many lenders just flat wont lend money on properties in this kind of shape. I have also seen this with many commercial buildings for sale. No matter what condition the property is in always remember to ask for seller financing. All they can do is say no. Once you have secured the financing, there are many ways to pull money out of the property. One is to improve the property. Whatever is wrong with it fix it. Always remember to start with the outside of the property. The first impression is always the best. This is what appraisers as well as potential buyers want to see. Manicure the yard. Fix the fence. Put up a front door that makes a statement. Make som... 04/09/2008