Get Home Ready For Fall Season

Idaho has me getting ready for fall season. Wow, the fall is fast approaching us just look outside- For me golf season is leaving once again to my chagrin and chores a round the house are becoming priorities not to be ignored. Again the planters and gutters need cleaned out and that is only the beginning. Many other things in our life just like spring cleaning need to be done. Organize what has been thrown into the mix from 2010- Bills, cars, electronics, home decor etc.. This is a good time to start getting all parts of our lives in check from the 2010 year. By doing this it will help make the winter months more focused for holiday family fun while we are gearing up for 2011 and the great opportunities that are ahead of us. Hope these links give you some ideas. Of course if you have some of your own please post back to my site.  Always free up some time to follow our Boise State Broncos and their run for a BCS championship.

Get Rid of Excuses

Start with the Basics

Get Rid of Clutter

Maintenance is the Key

Joshua Groesbeck  www.homeswithjosh.com

208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

source: house keeping guide

Faster Short Sale Approvals after B of A Insurance Scam

Ever feel like your mortgage servicer or company is just toying with you and your HAMP program- It should be black or white, completely transparent and well let’s admit it– Can I get a loan mod and does it even make any sense if my home is totally upside down (bought at 300k now worth 175k)- Here in Idaho job unemployment rate is still above 9% and not looking to drop drastically anytime soon.  If your loan company is jerking you around please don’t hesitate to call or email Josh with your questions. Idaho’s Best Short Sale Specialist! Read below what the big boys in banking are doing it might make you shake your head–

Bank of America gets caught with their hand in the jar and blames Countrywide.

But doesn’t Bank of America own Countrywide?  Yes!

When Bank of America took over Countrywide in 2008 during the worst housing crash since the Great Depression, according to Bloomberg, BofA absorbed Balboa Insurance.  Essentially, Balboa Insurance…now owned and operated by BofA, is insuring their own bad debt.

What does this mean?  Bank of America’s “Countrywide Loans” that have been defaulted against by homeowners are insured, meaning Bank of America is feeling no pain and actually is gaining from this type of bad debt. Meaning that BofA is in no hurry to sell bad debt.  That’s why there is “Shadow Inventory” and Short Sales are taking so long to approve for sale. There’s no hurry when your making money.

Why Bank of America is gaining on a defaulted loan?  It seems that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uncovered ”scamming” on behalf of  “Countrywide” last month.  Remember, Bank of America bought/took over, what ever you want to call it, Countrywide at the Federal Governments request.

What was the scamming?

Countrywide had established Balboa Insurance to cover their home loans gone bad.  In an effort to help defray these losses on bad loans, Balboa Insurance and Countrywide would over charge the now defaulted homeowner for any related services to the default…like mowing the lawns, maintenance of the home, painting, etc…yes, Countrywide in it’s need to make money, charged up to 2 times the amount back to the homeowner for these services.  This is in clear violation to FTC guidelines as it pertains to loan servicing.

So what?

Well, Millions and millions of dollars have been scammed from the clients that they hold a fiduciary responsibility. Kinda like Bernie Madoff screwing his own clients out of their money.   Well, it’s now 2 years later, and Bank of America “Countrywide” division has been caught red handed.  However, no one is being held responsible.  Why?

BofA was helping out the Feds by taking over the Countrywide catastrophe and with that comes immunity.  Above the law stuff…”you do us a favor, no one will suffer.”

Know that BofA has been caught, the new CEO, Brian Moynihan stated earlier this month that they have a “desire” to sell Balboa Insurance.  Desire?  What does that mean?

C’mon…let’s be real.  BofA makes tons of money on bad loans.  That’s why it takes so freakin’ long to get a BofA short sale approved!  That’s why there is “shadow Inventory”!

So what happens next?

As soon as CEO Moynihans “desire” is fulfilled and Bolboa is sold…it should open the flood gates to short sales and release of “shadow inventory”.

It’s good news…however, no one person is held responsible. No one goes to jail.

Do the Feds a “solid” and your protected!

Foreclosures Down And Short Sales Up

Here is an insightful video from  CNBC  and what to expect from the housing market in the months ahead. If you have questions or would like assistance with your home please don’t hesitate to call or email, Josh.

Exiting Home Sales Down

Joshua Groesbeck

208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

www.homeswithjosh.com or www.idshortsale.com

Idaho Short Sale Process

Goal:  Avoiding Foreclosure

The following are the steps that you as a homeowner can anticipate in the short sale process.  This is a general outline of how the process occurs, however please note that lien holders can change the order of some of the steps.  Detailed below is the process our team uses to process a short sale.  For a brief overview please see. www.homeswithjosh.com and look under Short Sales

Pre-Listing

1.
Please contact Josh’s office for a brief consultation about short sales.  Josh or one of his team members will collect some basic information about your situation.
2.
A tentative appointment will be scheduled to answer questions and/or list the home for sale in the short sale process.
3.
Josh and his team will prepare a short sale packet which will be sent to you either via FEDEX, regular mail or email.  We provide a thorough packet of information in advance of the appointment so you have the opportunity to evaluate our process and have your questions answered in advance.  If what we send you and what we discuss prior to the appointment makes sense and you feel comfortable and confident to go forward with the short sale process, our appointment will be confirmed. The packet will include:
*
Information about the short sale process.
*
Market data on the value of your home in today’s market.
*
Recommended short sale pricing.
*
Listing contract and related forms.
*
Property detail report from the county assessor’s office.
4.
The appointment.  Josh will either come to your house to receive the documents or they can be returned via fax or email. We can do listing appointments via telephone or email if necessary.
5.
Once we receive a signed listing agreement we will begin the short sale process.
6.
An authorization form will be submitted to your lien holder(s) enabling us to speak to them on your behalf.  Unless previously provided, the lien holder(s) will provide their short sale requirements when the authorization is received.

Marketing

1.
Your home will be listed immediately on the Multiple Listing Service.
2.
We will market your home through various affiliated web sites and all other applicable marketing strategies.
3.
During the marketing period we will receive offers and present them to you as they are received.
*
Offers will be presented to you on an offers spread sheet.
*
You will be able to see the net offers as they come in.  We highlight, in yellow, the current highest net offer.
*
You will sign the purchase offer of your choosing.  We will advise you as to what appears to be the strongest offer.  We will encourage you to consider two important factors; price and the willingness of the buyer to wait for the short sale process to complete rather than back out in the middle of the process.
4.
You will select and sign the offer that is most likely to meet the lien holder(s) criteria for a short pay off of your loan.

Short Sale Processing

1.
After you select an offer it will be signed by you and presented to your lien holder(s).  This is the official beginning of the short sale processing phase.
2.
You can track your short sale offer, as it is processed, online at Short Sale Status.
3.
The offer and all documentation required by the lien holder(s) is submitted by our office to the lien holder(s).
4.
Documents go through a processing period and are assigned to a negotiator.  The lien holder(s) assign a negotiator to your file.  The negotiator will ultimately make the final decision about your case.  The negotiator will review your offer and present the offer to any investors into your loan.
5.
A BPO (Broker’s Price Opinion) or appraisal will be ordered by the negotiator.  This BPO is used to determine the value of your home and whether or not the net proceeds of the offer are sufficient to satisfy the investors and thus provide a short pay off of the loan(s).
6.
The negotiator will evaluate your financial situation to determine whether or not you qualify for a short sale.  The offer will be presented to the investors who are invested into your loan.  They will decide if your short sale is approved or not.
7.
The negotiator will report the response of the investors.  There will be one of three options:  Short Sale Approval, Short Sale Approval with Conditions or Denial.  If any other answer then Short Sale Approval is provided we will negotiate further on your behalf.
8.
After all negotiations are complete you will either accept or reject the terms of the short sale.
9.
Written short sale notification is delivered to the buyer’s agent and Escrow begins.

Escrow

1.
Escrows in short sales generally follow the same process as a regular escrow.  One difference is that the short sale approval has a “good through” date by which time the short sale must be finalized and escrow must be closed.
2. When escrow begins you will need to make plans to be moved out of the house by the close of escrow.

Josh Groesbeck

208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

Real Estate Radio Program

So I wanted to add this great real estate radio program to my real estate website. This is a very informative radio program that will update you on the latest real estate trends across the country.  Just press play and listen while you use my website www.homeswithjosh.com to research the market, read the latest blogs by Josh Groesbeck or look at all  available homes on the market in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Star, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Kuna  and all surrounding cities in Idaho. Of course to talk with Josh call 208-353-7131 or set up your appointment to view properties josh@homeswithjosh.com

Take a minute and let me know how I am doing providing all my customers and clients with information and products to help their real estate needs.

Thanks again!

Buy Idaho Homes Now

Facts you want to know!

Thinking of possibly buying a new home or existing home?  The good news, it’s definitely a buyer’s market.  But as these facts will tell you, great inventory will be picked over and the opportunity to get a great home for a great value will be lost, simply by waiting too long.
Now’s the time to buy.  Here’s why:

  • First-time home buyers are now eligible for a $8000 tax credit* that does not have to be paid back. 
  • Eight years ago, interest rates were above 8%.  Today, interest rates are as low as 5% on a 30-year FHA fixed mortgage.”* Compared to 8% seen in early 2000s, a rate of 5% would mean a monthly savings of approximately $393 (principle and interest payment) on a $200,000 mortgage. 
  • Due to market fluctuations, interest rates are subject to change at any time and without notice. Interest rates are also subject to credit and property approval based on secondary market guidelines.
  • IHFA’s Down Payment Assistance Programs:  Eligible borrowers may qualify for one of two Down Payment Assistance Programs available. Borrowers must meet certain eligibility requirements in order to qualify for funding down payment or closing costs assistance.
    1.  $20,000 IHFA’s Down Payment Assistance Program:  This is a deferred loan program available for borrowers with less than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
    2.  Good Credit Rewards Down Payment and Closing Costs Assistance:  This down payment assistance program offers a second mortgage for up to 3.5% of the first mortgage that can be used for down payment and closing costs. The second mortgages are fixed rates over 30-years making the monthly payment very low so as a borrower you can easily qualify for the loan amount you need. Also this program allows you to keep your savings, which might help you if you have unexpected expenses after you move into your new home. To learn more about these programs, please check read blogs on www.homeswithjosh.com today.
  • Average home prices in Ada and Canyon Counties have dropped to where they were years ago.
  • Housing affordability is at record levels.  Lower prices and record-low mortgage rates have combined to make homes more affordable than in any time in recent history.
    Source: probuilder.com  “Conquer Customers’ Fear”
  • BUILD NOW. With the decline in construction costs, labor and material costs, land prices and more, building a home costs much less than it has in years.  Now is the time to consult with your builder to build your dream home TODAY. Plus, enjoy some peace of mind when you receive your one-year builder warranty at closing. 
  • Buying property now…is a smart play.  Of course, any financial decision (even doing nothing) involves risk.  But today’s financial conditions make buying real estate today and holding it long term, as part of a diversified financial strategy, is something to consider.
    Source: David Bach, financial coach and best-selling author  of “The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner”™
  • Housing inventories have been moving lower in recent months, dropping by 1208 units (Ada) and 440 units (Canyon County) in the last 6 months.
    Source: intermountainmls.com

Search the Mls now    www.homeswithjosh.com

source: Intermountain mls and Buy Idaho Now