First Time Home Buyer Or Investment

First Time Home Buyer Or Investment!!Adorable 3 bedroom 2 bath 1144 sqft. split floor plan with quiet location near NNU. Landscaping gives very nice curb appeal to this corner lot home. Dual gates for R.V. parking on the west side of back yard. Back yard has concrete patio with mature tree providing excellent shade for those evening BBQ’s.  $69,900 you can bet that this won’t be available for long!

For more information about this home and others call Joshua Groesbeck direct at 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

Short Sale The New REO

One of the largest lenders Bank of America is Tripling their number of mortgage assistance centers. This bold move leads me to believe that they are preparing even more for what has become an industry standard, The Short Sale.  Many homes are being lost to financial hardship from lack of employment but tied very close to that are the people that are in homes so upside down in equity that they will not be back to even equity for many years maybe 10 to 15. It is a numbers game but if these banks really take a look (and they now are) the best way to market recovery is too embrace the Short Sale and stop the bleeding. Values will really start to form a housing bottom and those who Short Sale can be back in the market within a couple of years and help absorb some of the housing  inventory. If you or someone you know is facing hardship or an upside down mortgage call Josh Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or www.idshortsale.com

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000020309

Owning Your Idaho Home

Everyday we here more bad news about the housing fallout and while that cannot be ignored there are some major benefits of home ownership. A lot of the times home ownership are more than the financial dividends.  The best things about owning a home have a lot more to do with personal comfort and satisfaction. I was golfing with a retired professor from Notre Dame. He followed his wife and kids over to Idaho and told me if it weren’t for his job at the University of Notre Dame he would have been here years ago.  He had been coming to Boise, Idaho since the late 1960′s telling me that he always knew that he would end up owning a home here. In closing “I love Idaho” and good game :)

Here are five of them:

· Be your own landlord. The bank can only kick you out if you don’t pay; a landlord can be much less dependable – deciding to sell the property or choosing to live there themselves.
· Paying the principal is forced savings. Yes, it’s possible that home prices will fall further. It is also possible that your 401k will go down, but in the end both should provide you with an upside.
· Fixed-rate mortgages never rise – and eventually you pay them off. With mortgage rates at record lows, people who buy now are locking in real bargains.
· Good schools. Family-sized rentals are harder to come by in areas with excellent public schools.
· Spacious properties in pleasant neighborhoods. Sizable homes in attractive communities are almost always owned – not rented.

Source New York Times: Ron Lieber

Realty Check For Idaho

Watch today’s short report on the housing market- Some where around 32% of loan modifications have become permanent while the rest  moving towards some form of foreclosure.  It seems that banks are trying a little harder to get these loans modified to 31% of your monthly gross income, not your take home money but your gross. Idaho has been witness to a rise in values that we most likely will never see again. Lost jobs and income combined with values that have seemingly taken us back, back, back-are not helping recovery. If your payment is good and your paying down your principle and living life more power to you. If your payment has become a hardship and starts taking away your quality of life, look for help.. Take action and stay in your home, call    Joshua Groesbeck 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com or www.homeswithjosh.com

Idaho Help For Home Owners

If you are currently working with an Idaho loan modification plan we hope that everything works out. If your loan modification is not working or perhaps you are upside down in your Idaho home (mortgage) please seek professional help. Josh is a trained Sh0rt Sale negotiator located right here in the Treasure Valley. Please review the HAFA rules and incentives from Making Home Affordable website. For answers and help with your home call Josh 208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

If you are looking for help selling your home and avoiding foreclosure, the federal government has introduced the
Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Program to help you. As your mortgage servicer, we are
offering you the opportunity to participate in this program by utilizing HAFA’s short sale option.
Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program – Short Sale
A “short sale” is specifically designed to help borrowers who are unable to afford their first mortgage and want to
sell their home to avoid foreclosure, even if the sale price may not pay off the amount owed on their mortgage. A
short sale requires a number of parties (you, the buyer, your real estate broker, and sometimes mortgage
insurance companies and other lenders) to work together to make this option successful. However, it could be a
good solution for your current situation.
How Does a Short Sale Work?
 Pre‐Sale—We will start by approving a list price for your home or give you the acceptable sale proceeds (the
minimum amount that we must receive after sales costs) from the sale of your home. We will also identify the
sales costs (broker commissions and closing costs) that may be deducted from the final sales price. You then
list your property (like any home sale) with a local real estate broker at the approved price.
 Offer—When you get an offer on your home, you will submit the required documentation and we will approve
the sale if it is in line with what we agreed to.
 Closing—Once the sale closes, we will release you from all responsibilities for repaying your mortgage. Plus,
you will receive $3,000 to help pay some of your moving expenses. (The check will be paid to you by the
settlement agent as part of the closing.) In the event there is any money left over from the sale after paying
the entire amount you owe on the mortgage plus the approved sale costs, you will not be eligible to receive
the $3,000.
To Participate in the Short Sale Program
Please note, there is no guarantee that your home will sell under this program, and you are responsible for
determining whether you want to sell your home for the price and terms described in this letter. The following
pages detail your responsibilities, additional information on the short sale process and the Terms and Conditions.
Additionally, this letter constitutes an agreement between us and you (“Agreement”) so please read it carefully
and completely.

Source:Making Home Affordable

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!

HAUP Home Affordable Unemployment Program

The Home Affordable Unemployment Program (HAUP) begins today. It is designed to provide relief to unemployed homeowners. HAUP (referred to as “UP”), “offers eligible unemployed borrowers a forbearance plan to temporarily reduce or suspend their mortgage payments.”

By August 1, 2010, all servicers who are participating in Making Home Affordable will be helping homeowners who are struggling to stay current because of unemployment.

Here are the details:

Forbearance Plan Eligibility:

A borrower must meet the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) eligibility criteria as well as:

  • be unemployed when request is made;
  • be entitled to receive unemployment benefits in the month of the UP forbearance plan effective date (servicers have discretion to require a borrower to have received unemployment benefits for up to three months before commencement of the forbearance plan); and
  • request an UP forbearance plan before they become seriously delinquent (i.e., miss three monthly mortgage payments).

Forbearance Plan Evaluation:

Servicers must follow these requirements when evaluating a borrower for an UP forbearance plan:

  • Unemployed borrowers who request assistance for HAMP must first be evaluated for an UP forbearance plan. If they qualify, they must be offered an UP forbearance plan before they can be considered for HAMP.
  • Borrowers currently in a HAMP trial period plan who become unemployed may receive an UP forbearance plan if they have missed less than three monthly payments as of the first payment due date of the HAMP trial period plan. If they do qualify, their existing HAMP trial period plan must be cancelled and the UP forbearance plan must immediately begin without waiting until the borrower has received three months of unemployment benefits.
  • Borrowers previously determined to be ineligible for a HAMP modification may request an UP forbearance plan if they meet the eligibility requirements.
  • Borrowers in a permanent HAMP modification who become unemployed are not eligible for an UP forbearance plan.

Forbearance Plan Terms

  • Term must be three months or upon reemployment (whichever is less). Servicers may extend this period according to their investor/regulatory guidelines.
  • Monthly mortgage payment must be reduced to less than or equal to 31% of the borrower’s gross monthly household income and may be suspended in full.

Transition to HAMP

  • Borrowers in an UP forbearance plan will be evaluated for HAMP at either reemployment or 30 days prior to the UP forbearance period expiring (whichever happens first).

Source: HSH

If you are experiencing problems making you house payment or see that foreclosure is possible we can help!

Joshua Groesbeck

208-353-7131 or josh@homeswithjosh.com

www.homeswithjosh.com and www.idshortsale.com

Overwhelming Negative Home Equity

With more and more evidence of more and more borrowers walking away from their mortgage commitments due to overwhelming negative equity, I got to thinking: What exactly is the monetary tipping point for a homeowner, someone occupying the home, hanging pictures on the walls, perhaps raising their kids in the second and third bedrooms, going to the neighborhood block parties…what exactly is the negative equity number that makes them say, “We’re outta here.”

Negative $70,000.

At least according to First American Core Logic. FACL put out its quarterly negative equity report today, showing that the number of “underwater” loans is rising, from 10.7 million in Q3 to 11.3 million in Q4 or 24 percent of all borrowers from 23 percent.

What interested me was a paragraph lower down in the report:

“The rise in negative equity is closely tied to increases in pre-foreclosure activity and is a major factor in changing homeowner default behavior. Once negative equity exceeds 25 percent, or the mortgage balance is $70,000 higher than the current property values, owners begin to default with the same propensity as investors.”

This behavior is apparently measured by the actual data, that is, the default rates of investors vs.. owners and comparing that to loan-to-value ratios.

Source: Diana Olick

This is a measuring stick of how most home owners view their property. Take into consideration that there still are many people that aren’t quite 25% negative equity but do have loss of income and not enough equity to still sell their home outright that may still qualify for short sale. For more information go to http://idshortsale.com also more information at www.homeswithjosh.com or simply call Joshua Groesbeck at 208-353-7131

Idaho Short Sale Application

Your confidential short sale application is now available by clicking here

http://www.homeswithjosh.com/home/short-sale-application/