How many listings are too small for an FHA loan? Actually there are quite a few. Most everyone knows that a home under 600 SF, as an example doesn’t qualify for an FHA loan, right? Wrong. It doesn’t qualify for an FHA 203b loan but it may very well qualify for an FHA 203k loan if you merely add square footage in the process. What happens if you have a 600 SF home that has two small bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom and you reconfigure it to have four bedrooms and two or three bathrooms? What does that do to the value of the property? You may have the best neighborhood and a small home exists that has just been fixed up and there is nothing that needs repairs… can I do a 203k on it? YES, by adding to it. This type of renovation is not for the Streamlined "k" which is f... 10/05/2010

Vacaville is an area that has lots of smaller country properties and some that aren't so small but moreover many of them were built way out away from city services where wells and septic systems are commonplace. Nothing wrong with that of course. It is dictated by the times and the available services. Now, thirty and forty years later we find that a large number of the systems are failing. I'm afraid we have as many foreclosures as any area and with no water flowing for a period of time... who knows. Septic system replacement is considered a "full 203k" however and a Streamlined k cannot be used in this case. Whatever the reason they are failing and causing  a number of homes to be "unsalable" NOT. The FHA 203k loan program is the best possible solution. This loan allows your buyer to p... 10/02/2010

If you have seem a photo of me you know I don't have much hair. I can remember when my mom used to tell me to get it out of my eyes or she would cut it off, can you believe it? A few years ago I found a  real barber in Fairfield CA and I was happy as a clam... I know but I do think clams are happy most of the time. He did a great job on my hair then one day he handed me the mirror to look at the back of my head. I had been watching him cut for a while and wondered what the heck he was doing. In any case I told him that I didn't think he took anything off today. He responded "if I take any more off you won't be in for a month"... so I asked him 'do you mean you are cutting my hair to suit your pocket book' - I don't understand people who put themselves first all of the time. I was always... 10/01/2010

Vacaville Open Houses Sept 5th Judi Urbanik Prudential Benicia 6134 Vanden Rd  Sun 1-4pm Enjoy the holiday weekend! 09/03/2010

Open Houses Vacaville August 28th + 29th Judi Urbanik Prudential Benicia 6134 Vanden Dr Vacaville Sat 1-4 Sun 1-4 If you would like to have your open house added please provide the listing information Friday by 2pm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFqx9h7L3cE 08/27/2010

VACAVILLE HOMES--My bank says I don't qualify for a permanent modification.  What now? More and more, I am getting calls like this from clients.  These clients have entered into a temporary loan modification program with their lenders under the Making Homes Affordable Program (HAMP).  They made their three months worth of trial payments at a payment they could afford.  They thought this would be permanent.  Now they are being told that they do qualify, but the payment will be much higher.  For example, I have a client whose payment prior to modification was $4800.  For her temporary modification, it was $3500.  After the trial period, the bank increased it to $4300.  Due to a recent divorce and lack of income, she cannot make that amount. When she spoke with her bank, they told her that... 07/06/2010

 VACAVILLE REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE MARCH 2010 Not to steal from Staples marketing, but "WOW, that's a great price", for Vacaville real estate.  As you can see, some properties are going for higher than asking and some for lower.  It really depends on location and condition.  As you can see the avergae sales price for Vacaville real estate is $260,291 with 90 homes being sold in the month of March. Quick Stats - Averages   Listing $ SqFt Listing Pr/SqFt DOM/CDOM Sale $ Selling Pr/SqFt Residential (90) $265,269 1801 $147 75/76 $260,291 $145   Street Full Address Listing Price Selling Price 2007 Zinfandel Ct Vacaville, CA 95688 599,000 560,000 221 Circle Dr Vacaville, CA 95688 115,500 114,000 590 Christine Dr Vacaville, CA 95687 339,000 339,000 702 Laurelwood Cir Vacaville, CA 95687 250,... 04/06/2010

The Good Neighbor Next Door Program offers HUD owned single family (one-unit) homes to eligible participants at a 50% discount. In return you must commit to live in the property for 36 months as your sole residence. Who Can Participate? Law Enforcement You may participate in the Good Neighbor Next Door program as a law enforcement officer if you are employed full-time by a law enforcement agency of the federal government, a state, a unit of general local government, or an Indian tribal government; and, in carrying out such full-time employment, you are sworn to uphold, and make arrests for violations of, federal, state, tribal, county, township, or municipal laws. Teachers You may participate in the Good Neighbor Next Door program as a Teacher if you are employed as a full-time teacher... 04/05/2010

Service is something that never grows old. I was going home last Friday from Fairfield to Woodland and while leaving the office I noticed there was a roofing nail in my tire. It had been loosing air but not badly. I headed home and by the time I got to Vacaville the traffic was pretty heavy and I thought what a great time to get off this freeway and get my tire fixed. I spotted "Americas Tire Co" at the Monte Vista Road exit and headed for it. It was 5:50 pm when I arrived and the service manager came out to meet me as I pulled up. He told me that they closed in ten minutes. I told him I was hoping to get a tire fixed. He then surprised me when I showed him the nail head in the tire. He took me inside and wrote up a ticket to repair the tire. I was elated when he said "I don't want you ... 03/27/2010

When looking for horse property or horse farm, it is usually assumed that is property between 2 and 50 acres and zoned for horses; Horse farms are often between 2 to 25 acres. However, in a few residential areas, one acre or less is satisfactory if the land is surrounded by city services, zoned to allow horses, and all usable and flat. Two horses per acre, however, is a good rule of thumb. Horse property is ideally grassy, rolling land for the most part, with good draining soil. Horses benefit from living on rolling or sloped land as they need exercise, but it should not be more than a 15% slope. Ideally, most horse folks are looking for 3-5 acres when shopping for a horse property. However, extra land is always useful for pasturing, breeding, casual riding, lay-up, access to trails, ro... 03/20/2010

NOTICE OF DEFAULT IN VACAVILLE?  NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE? FORECLOSURE? SAVING MY VACAVILLE HOME FROM FORECLOSURE  Here's how you can sell your VACAVILLE home for less than you owe the bank, avoid foreclosure, save your credit and get your lender to pay all the costs-for FREE!  A new informative e-book has just been released called "The Home Owner's Guide to Real Estate Short Sales" and it is possibly the most valuable guide on how to use a short sale to stop or avoid foreclosure available today.  Inside this book, you will learn how to sell your VACAVILLE home or investment property quickly and easily using a home selling strategy called a real estate short sale...and owe nothing! You can stop the bank from foreclosing on your VACAVILLE home and ruining your credit without costing you a ... 03/10/2010

Acceleration Clause - The part of a contract that says when a loan may be declared due and payable.Accidental Death Benefit - In a life insurance policy, benefit in addition to the death benefit paid to the beneficiary, should death occur due to an accident. There can be certain exclusions as well as time and age limits. Active Participant - Person whose absence from a planned event would trigger a benefit if the event needs to be canceled or postponed.Activities of Daily Living - Bathing, preparing and eating meals, moving from room to room, getting into and out of beds or chairs, dressing, using a toilet. Actual Cash Value - Cost of replacing damaged or destroyed property with comparable new property, minus depreciation and obsolescence. For example, a 10-year-old sofa will not be rep... 09/26/2009

Dryer vent cleaning is the cure for most clothes dryer problems because it promotes maximum airflow which is the number one requirement for clothes dryer to operate.  Here is a trouble shooting guide outlining other common problems with clothes dryers.   The Dryer won't Start   I know this sounds simple but check to see if it is plugged in.  Also, check the circuit breaker or fuse.  This way you won't be embarrassed when the technician comes in and bills for a service call when all they had to do was plug the dryer in.  There are reasons the dryer could have been unplugged; maybe you were doing some spring cleaning and the cord was in the way or it came loose when you were sweeping behind the dryer.    Check the timer to see if it is working; you should be able to hear it clicking as it... 06/29/2009

824 Vassar Dr., Vacaville BEAUTIFUL DUET HOME IN MOVE-IN CONDITION!   3 Bedrooms,2½ Baths Approx. 1,528 Sq. Ft. Priced At $235,000 Talk about pride of ownership! This beautiful duet home is in move-in condition and features all sorts of upgrades and custom amenities, including a gourmet kitchen with tiled breakfast bar, self-cleaning gas oven & range, over-the-stove microwave, and stylish laminate flooring. Along with three upstairs bedrooms, there’s a family room, living room, dining area off the kitchen, and interior laundry. There’s a tile-faced gas-and-ceramic-log fireplace in the living room. The master suite features plant shelves, two closets & double vanity sinks. And, there’s central air plus a covered patio in the backyard. This home is a Short Sale, with VERY motivated and co... 02/26/2009

I recently emailed Congressman George Miller 7th District to voice my opinion on bringing back seller paid down payment assistance programs.  This was his response on Feb. 3rd, 2009 Dear Mr. Phillips:  Thank you for contacting me regarding the recent changes to the Federal Housing Authority's (FHA) Downpayment Assistance Programs.  Downpayment Assistance Programs are intended to assist families who are unable to make a downpayment obligation themselves when purchasing a home. These programs have helped many people start on the path to homeownership and have helped millions of families over the years.  As you probably understand, Downpayment Assistance Programs (DPA) have not been eliminated by Congress. However, some changes were made to the Downpayment assistance rules when Congress pa... 02/09/2009

 announces changes of multiple mortgages to the same borrower. Calling all investors.  For loans delivered after March 1, 2009 FNMA is relaxing the 4 properties maximum rule, to a total for ten properties.  The guidelines will be that a 720 fico score is required and the combined loan to value will be 70 to 75 percent, depending on the type of property.  They are also changing the total house costs from principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) to principal, interest, taxes, insurance, plus home owners association dues, special assessments, ect. (PITIA) Is this the thing that the market has been waiting for?  Increasing the number of properties for qualified investors is a big step in the right direction.  Fannie Mae has finally recognized the realities of the market place.  By al... 02/08/2009

Seeking to jump-start the housing market, the Senate added new tax relief for homebuyers to its $900 billion economic stimulus bill yesterday as the legislation moved toward a final vote.  The amendment represents a significant victory for Republicans. GOP lawmakers have complained that the package includes few of their priorities for easing the economic crisis, including more help for the housing sector, which has been devastated by foreclosures and the frozen credit market. The provision would offer a tax credit of up to $15,000 or 10% of the purchase price, for any home bought as a primary residence, for one year after the stimulus bill is signed into law. It would add $19 billion to the plan. The housing amendment, accepted unanimously by a voice vote, also represents an effort by D... 02/05/2009

Click Here to view the video!! Click Here to visit my website!!! If you don't take yourself to seriously and like to laugh this is for you.  I know times are tough and people are going through many different types of hardships right now.  This video shows the hardships that CEO's are going through.   Mark Phillips Superior Home Loans   01/26/2009

The Obama administration is promising an aggressive fight against the rising tide of home foreclosures, but officials have yet to decide what strategy -- or combination of strategies -- they will use. Among the possibilities being pushed by various interest groups are a six-month foreclosure moratorium, a doubling of the mortgage interest deduction, a tax credit for those who buy homes and a federally sponsored mortgage refinancing program. But it's been almost three years since foreclosures began to mount. And government and the financial industry have been unable to agree on a plan largely because they cannot resolve a central issue: How should losses be divided between borrowers and lenders?The challenge for the White House will be crafting a foreclosure prevention package that promo... 01/25/2009

Not long ago, no-down-payment loans were the height of fashion for home buyers. But now that lenders have tightened their standards, borrowers once again are expected to "put some skin in the game," to use a favorite industry catchphrase. That "skin" refers to the borrower's own cash, and it means down payments are definitely back in style. The chief advantage of a down payment today is simply the ability to qualify for a loan, as only a handful of so-called zero-down loan programs still exist. Yet down payments have other benefits, too. The more money you put down to buy a home, the smaller your monthly payments will be. Buyer's down payment becomes a home owner's instant equity when the purchase closes, and that equity can be borrowed against with a home-equity loan or line of credit.... 01/25/2009