That one thing you might be missing to set you above the rest
With over 90% of home buyers searching online for a new home your home must make a great first impression. The first impression is a lasting impression! In a buyers market sellers compete with sellers. If buyers are not impressed what they see online they will move on to the next listing. Ready, Set, Stage! works with you and your Realtor to put your home on the “must see” list for today’s home buyers. We offer a marketing plan and photos to assist with the sale of your home.
Facing foreclosure? New Fannie Mae website helps consumers find options
WASHINGTON – Aug. 16, 2010 – Fannie Mae launched a new website to help consumers understand their options when facing foreclosure and the possible loss of their home. Called KnowYourOptions.com, it outlines the choices available to homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments, and provides guidance on how they can contact and work with their mortgage company to find a back-up plan. Read more…..
July is National Ice Cream Month
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday (7/19) in July is National Ice Cream Day! Not that you needed a reason to eat ice cream but if you did, you just got 31!
So join in the celebration by dedicating a day to your favorite flavor, chocolate Wednesday, Cookies-N-Cream Thursday, etc., you get the idea. Have a sundae, a cone with a scoop or 2 of your favorite flavor or just eat it right out of the carton! Any way you scoop it you’ll be supporting National Ice Cream Month!
If you really want to be creative try making your own ice cream at home. Here is a website for some old favorites and some new an interesting ones. Click link for ice cream receipes.
Something Your Buyers Should Know About Title Before Closing On A REO Property
The REO lender cannot require, as a condition of sale, that the buyer purchase title insurance from a particular title company. The buyer of REO property has a right to choose the closing and title company and pay for buyers own title policy. Section 9 of RESPA prohibits a seller from requiring the home buyer to use a particular title insurance company, either directly or indirectly, as a condition of sale. In fact, a clause in a purchase agreement that has the effect of forcing the buyer to obtain and pay for a title insurance policy from a specific title company is illegal. The only way a seller can ask that a buyer use a particular title company is if the seller pays 100% of all title insurance and related title costs. We urge buyers to stand up for their right to choose the title company if the buyer will pay for the policy.
For additional information please contact Marisa Pia Capua of EWM Title at 305.960.3067.
The Rental Scam is back
A few months ago I blogged about the rental scam that was cropping up in the South Florida, well it seems it back or perhaps it’s a variation of the old one.
The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) recently put out a consumer alert regarding rental scams. If you suspect a scam, have already been victimized, or know someone who has fallen victim to a scam, please report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center to help them determine the extent of the problem.
How the scam works.
First, the scammer will contact the listing agent for the property by either driving by and calling on the sign or sending the listing agent an e-mail.
The e-mail will ask for certain things about the property such as the price, move in costs, etc. Below are some tips when dissecting a rental scam email.
- Does the email start out with Sir/Madam?
- Are there misspellings in the email?
- Are there character mistakes in the email? i.e Hello,my nameis Susie.
- Is there excessive capitalization?
- Does the email reference God, UK, Cashiers Check, Doctor, Nigeria, Reverend, etc.
- Is the email from a free email provider. i.e gmail, yahoo, aol, hotmail.
- Does the email refer to another person or agent?
- Does the email reference wanting to move in site unseen?
If the email has a majority of these in common, chances are very good it is a scammer. If you are not sure, it’s best to not reply.
The money order/deposit scam
Scammers will try to make the victim feel as comfortable as possible. Here is one way they do it. Once the scammer has all the information about the property, they will then do the following:
- Advertises the rental(s) on a large free classifieds site and make the rental price extremely low.
- The victim finds the ad and wants to rent the property. Because it is priced so low, the victim thinks they are getting a good deal and must act right away so they don’t lose this great deal.
- The Victim and the scammer begin communicating via e-mail.
- The Scammer tells the victim he is out of the country on business.
- To ensure the victim has the funds, the scammer will ask the victim to wire a deposit ($2,000) to any of the victims friends. This is supposed to make the victim feel comfortable with the process because they are wiring the money (deposit) to their own friend.
- The scammer requests a copy of the receipt to make sure the funds have been transferred to the victim’s friend through MoneyGram.
- With the information on the receipt, the scammer picks up the money and the victim is out the money as well as the rental. Money orders alow the recipient to pick up the funds anywhere in the world.
How to avoid being victimized:
- Only deal with landlords or renters who are local;
- Be suspicious if you’re asked to only use a wire transfer service;
- Beware of e-mail correspondence from the “landlord” that’s written in poor or broken English;
- Research the average rental rates in that area and be suspicious if the rate is significantly lower;
- Don’t give out personal information, like social security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
If you suspect a scam, have already been victimized, or know someone who has fallen victim to a scam, please report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center to help them determine the extent of the problem.
Faulty Chinese drywall causes corrosion, federal study says
Initial findings from a study of 51 homes by the Consumer Product Safety Commission links corrosion in homes with Chinese drywall to the imported product, the agency said Monday.
Several federal agencies have been investigating complaints from thousands of homeowners — many in Florida — whose homes were built with Chinese drywall who have complained that copper tubing in their air conditioning units and electrical wiring have corroded, their homes smell like sulfur and they are having trouble breathing.Click here for entire article.
Q & A on New Housing Tax Credit
The National Association of Home Builders posted an excellent Question and Answer piece yesterday that explains all the details of the new housing tax credit. Your buyers will appreciate receiving this link from you: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/.
Be sure to take a few minutes to read the new opportunities for an expanded group of eligible buyers. In order to receive the credit, Buyers must have signed a contract by April 30, 2010 and they must close by June 30, 2010.
With our inventories shrinking daily, time is of the essence. Buyers will have fewer and fewer properties from which to choose over the months ahead, so encourage your friends and customers to start their home search today.
Miami-Dade Flood Zone
Need a quick source of reference to determine if a Miami-Dade property is in a flood zone? Try this: My Neighborhood: Flood Zone Information. It lets you search by address and provides a flood zone view of the neighborhood. It’s a great tool to use when your owners aren’t sure how to complete this section of their Owner’s Property Disclosure Statement, and helps when preparing offers so that you’ll know when to include the flood insurance addendum ( Addendum L of the FARA10) to the contract.
Home Sales in Florida Increase for 3rd Qtr.
Sales of existing single-family homes in Florida rose 33 percent in the third quarter of 2009. According to the Florida Association of Realtors this marks the fifth consecutive quarter that Florida has seen higher existing year-to-year home sales. A total of 44,345 existing homes sold statewide in 3Q 2009; during the same period the year before, a total of 33,311 existing homes sold. Read more
Schedule ?? What’s that?
As Realtors we all know that it is sometimes tough to stick to a schedule. In your mind, you have planned your day the night before. One phone call and your entire day changes. Realtors have a tendency to be creatures of crisis!
I often tell new agents to my office that they need to make a basic weekly schedule. This should include time blocked out each day to prospect, maintain contact with past clients, and social networking. When you receive that phone call that changes your day, you return to your basic schedule the next day. I guarantee you that you will get more done each week.
