The following chart is a helpful comparison of the processes of Mortgage Judicial Foreclosure and Trust Deed Non-Judicial Foreclosure  :) Mortgage Judicial Foreclosure Trust Deed Non-Judicial ForeclosureBorrower Defaults Borrower Defaults File Complaint (Initiate Law Suit) Beneficiary authorizes Trustee to proceed with ForeclosureRecord Lis PendensRecord Notice of DefaultCourt Hearing Date set for Sale Period of Equitable Redemption Trustor can reinstateAdvertise the Sale Advertise the SaleSell to highest bidder Buyer pays cash at sale. Sell to highest bidder Buyer pays cash at sale.Buyer receives Certificate of Sale Trustee conveys Trustee's Deed to BuyerPeriod of Statutory Redemption (Right of Redemption) Deficiency Judgment Unlikely Sheriff's Deed Conveyed to Buyer Evict Mortgagor  ... 03/10/2008

   The elusive dream of a successful business in real estate captures the imagination of aspiring and existing Realtors everywhere. A vision of flowing profits, industry respect, thrilled customers, and a balanced life. This vision is only possible by developing habits that drive business success. Here is what I try to do  :)Habit 1. Cultivate Inner Networks: Entrepreneurs practicing the art of business success know the power of networks. They take the time to identify and build relationships with key peers, mentors, and advisors. This inner network provides support, direction, and an increased number of people to assist. Having an inner network of five people who have a network of five more, grows the network exponentially.Habit 2. Customer Centric: Business success requires an unwaver... 03/10/2008

Hello Everyone,It's time again to get your homes ready to sell for this years selling season. What's new this year. Well there is a real push to home staging. It's always been around but you will see a lot more of it this year and buyers will start to expect it. Now is the best time to get your home ready to sell. Don't procrastinate like many people who will not get their home on the market until mid summer. Because they waited and then found out they may have some work to do non their homes. These delays can add up. The best time to get ready to sell is in February. This way you can do projects that need to get done without being rushed and the realtor can get pictures and everything ready for when it's ready to come on the market. We offer a free 15 minute walkthrough of your home. W... 03/10/2008

Hello Everyone, Just a quick blog about our Roads in Spokane and the real problem it causes. When I moved back here from Seattle the first thing I noticed was the roads were horrible. I had a truck at the time and it felt like it was getting ripped up just going down the regular roads. It was so bad not just in one spot but all over, that I thought what are they doing with our money, because the roads are horrible. That was about 7 years ago and today I'm still asking myself the same thing. Now I have a minivan and 4 kids and the holes are so bad in some spots I think they would actually wreck your car.They recently started patching the roads with what they call a winter mix of asphalt that can break up within a few days. They are wanting more summer mix, but my question is, Roads are o... 03/10/2008

Fortunately, much of the media about a failing housing market hasn't affected the Spokane market in the same way as larger cities have felt the impact.  We don't have builders like D.R. Horton, Centex, KB Homes, etc. building hundreds of homes at a time.  Therefore, we don't have a huge glut of inventory (some cities in Florida have thousands of new homes sitting vacant).  While the market certainly slowed, we currently only have a 4-6 month inventory of new homes available.  Clicking on the table above will take you to http://www.housingpredictor.com/On the left side of the page is a link that has interesting data about Washington State. 03/04/2008

Yep...we are a funny bunch!  Here are some of my favorite jokes heard and overheard  :)How many Real Estate Agents does it take to change a lightbulb?20 agents will go by and take a note that its out.10 of those agents might call a store to see if they have the right bulb.5 of these agents might go and buy the bulb.But only one will actually bother to pull over a chair and get up there and change it! [BTW:  I'm that agent here in beautiful Spokane.];)   Have to write a letter of recommendation for that fired Agent?For the chronically absent:"A man like him is hard to find.""It seemed her career was just taking off."For the office drunk:"I feel his real talent is wasted here.""We generally found him loaded with work to do.""Every hour with him was a happy hour."For an agent with no ambit... 03/03/2008

  Housing discrimination is illegal. But research conducted by the National Fair Housing Alliance reveals that: Housing discrimination persists nationwide and is severely underreported.The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that more than two million instances of housing discrimination occur annually, but in the year 2001, fewer than 24,000 complaints (1%) were filed.Complaint volumes are highest among African-Americans, people with disabilities, and families with children.Together, these complaints comprise the majority of all reported housing discrimination complaints.Housing discrimination is least reported among Hispanics, Asians, and women who are sexually harassed in housing.While studies conducted in California and Texas reveal that Hispanics are dis... 03/03/2008

YES!!!  It is worth the money...read on to see why :)What is a home inspection?A home inspection is a visual inspection of the structure and components of a home to find items that are not performing correctly or items that are unsafe. If a problem or a symptom of a problem is found the home inspector will include a description of the problem in a written report and may recommend further evaluation. Why is a home inspection important?Home Buyers: Emotion often affects the buyer and makes it hard to imagine any problems with their new home. A buyer needs a home inspection to find out all the problems possible with the home before moving in.Home Sellers: More and more sellers are choosing to have a thorough inspection before or when they first list their home. First and foremost, you shou... 03/03/2008

 Escrow companies can be helpful in completing a transaction safely but make sure you are using a littermate escrow company. Here are a few tips to help you choose a good company.Don't be talked into using a particular escrow serviceBe suspicious of using an escrow service recommended by an online buyer or seller. Be sure to scrutinize the site carefully before using the service. When the seller directs you to an escrow site of their choosing, that's a warning flag. Don't assume that because a company has a website that it is legitimate.Call customer serviceCall an escrow site's customer service number. Not being able to get a live person on the phone is a big red flag. If you call and get a fax or a generic voice mail that says leave a message, than it's probably a scam. Don't use any ... 03/03/2008

 I was taking this from my front room....my husband is out there somewhere!!   Those needed trimming anyway, thanks baby girl! 03/01/2008

My open house visitors got a treat when I called on Mother Nature to bring some sort of unique excitement for those dull open houses and we all got more than what I bargained for!  This little baby is starting to feel very comfortable in our little gated community.  Luckily, we don't have gates on the sidewalks so he's been strolling in and out without having to know the gate code!  Not sure how long he'll hang but I'll keep you all posted! 03/01/2008

Hello Everyone, Many Spokane Home Buyers will come across a for sale by owners (FSBO) when shopping for a home in Spokane. The key is to understand what they are and how they fit into your Spokane home search. FSBO's are home owners who have chosen to try and sell their home themselves. There are various reasons a home owner may choose not to use a professional. Some have had a bad experience, some are trying to save the money by selling it themselves. This gets popular when home values increase. Like in the last 3 years, the FSBO's have increased but the number of them selling is going down, due to a more competitive market.  We work with many FSBO's. Some are great to work with while others are not. Many buyers avoid FSBO's because they can often times be priced to high and don't have... 02/29/2008

Hello Everyone, Spokane Home staging is a key to selling your home and is on the rise nationwide. Why the big move to staging? Shows on HGTV have been running for a long time and we have been staging Spokane homes to sell for even longer. Why does it matter more now?Our Spokane Real Estate market has been low on inventory for quite a few years now and now that it's finally building back up, so is the competition. The other fact is, that around the nation people have been spoiled by the 'anything goes' pricing over the last 3-4 years. Now that's cooling off and people are realizing that the buyers are being more picky and have more choices.   Home staging is now not just something the best agents do like we have for years, but will soon be the norm. The more people do it, the more it wi... 02/29/2008

Hello Everyone, Spokane South Hill Real Estate is going strong. Still one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Spokane Washington. South hill has a history of tree lined streets, small boutiques, Great Schools and a real neighborhood feeling.    I have been selling South Hill Real Estate for a long time and have always loved the charm of the area. We bought ourselves on the South Hill and love our home. With close access to the freeway and shopping all over town it's no wonder people have always flocked to the South Hill.When it comes time to buy or sell on the South Hill call our team of South Hill Experts at Team Quintana Real Estate or visit our Spokane Real Estate Website and call us, we can help you get the most of your home. 509-362-1966 To read more blogs like this one go to... 02/29/2008

Hello Everyone, Spokane Home Values are leveling a bit and this is actually good for the Spokane economy. First time home buyers were squeezed out when prices went too high over the last two years. Mainly because wages in Spokane did not support it.   We have a new service called our Yearly Spokane Home Value Service. It's free and what it is, is a yearly report on your Spokane Home Value. Every home owner should know what is happening in their neighborhood at least once a year and it's always good to have an idea what your home would be worth.Signing up is as easy as a phone call or email. We just need to know your address and some basic information about your home so we can input it in our system. You can also visit our website and input the information on our Spokane Home Values page... 02/29/2008

Hello Everyone, I just wanted to touch on a topic that is so important in this fast paced Real Estate Market. Technology is always changing and this means Realtors have to change to support these changes. Most people are going online to shop and they want the best information and they want it fast.When it comes to understanding the internet and the internet consumers, there are not a lot of real estate agents in Spokane who are really up to date on things. You can see this in basic 'get your information' template websites that make up a large part of the Spokane Realtor Websites. Visit our website to see the next generation of Spokane Real Estate Websites. People don't want to look at old pictures of homes that are not for sale any more and in doing so had to give up their information s... 02/29/2008

What is Trust Deed Foreclosure?Trust Deed foreclosure is different than that of a mortgage foreclosure because there are no courts involved. Simply put, most investors refer to trust deed foreclosure as a third party action. Investors use different terms when dealing with a trust deed foreclosure. The borrower is called the trustor, the lender is called the beneficiary, and the third party representative (the one who is holding the title) is called the trustee. The trustee, who represents the lender or beneficiary, is brought on for the sole purpose of holding the title of the property as a security measure against the debt. Because there is no court action involved, the trustee has the authority to sell the property for the beneficiary in the event the trustor fails to make his monthly... 02/28/2008

What is Mortgage Foreclosure?Mortgage foreclosure simply means the deed can only be foreclosed through court action. Mortgage foreclosure is usually referred to as a judicial foreclosure. A mortgage is a security document that allows the borrower to keep title of the property while using the property as security or collateral for a loan. The lender then places a lien on the property in the event the owner does not pay the agreed payment. When the borrower pays off the loan, the lender gives the borrower a satisfaction of mortgage that removes the lien from the property. About half the states in the U.S. use mortgage foreclosure as the means of satisfying the loan balance. As with most mortgage foreclosure lawsuits, it starts with a summons and a complaint is issued to the borrower and a... 02/28/2008

How Short Sales workShort Sales are one of the most effective techniques for discounting loans in real estate. Short sales create huge investment opportunities and are a must if you want to be competitive in this market. One of the most important steps in the short sales process is getting the deed. Too many times, beginning investors will skip this vital step. Why do we want to get the deed from the homeowner(s)? Because all too often, homeowners change their minds, or want to back out of deals because they are scared, or they want to re-negotiate. Without the deed, they can back out of the potential short sale even after you have spent hours working on their property. This only has to happen once and I guarantee it will never happen again. I lost $30,000 on one deal because I failed t... 02/28/2008

What is a Short Sale?A short sale is when a lender accepts a discount on a mortgage to avoid a possible foreclosure auction or bankruptcy. Instead of buying from a seller, you are purchasing the property directly from the lender for a discount. For example: A homeowner, who is facing foreclosure, has an existing first mortgage of $300,000. You write an offer to the lender for $220,000, which is accepted as full payment for the loan. This is a short sale. Why are they willing to take such a discount? Several reasons. First of all, banks do not like excess inventory and bad loans on their books; therefore, if they see an opportunity where they can sell the property without a huge loss, they will do it. Secondly, lenders know they could lose a lot more money if the property goes to auction... 02/28/2008