by Houtan Hormozian | Oct 18, 2024 | CRESTICO
The Hope for Homeowners program is what is being broadcast as the last hope for America's Homeowners. Do you have a question about it? Read on for more information!
As of November 19th, 2008 many changes have been made to the lending system in this country. Primarily, the loan to value ratio (LTV) has been increased from 90% to 96.50% for borrowers whose monthly mortgage payments are no more than 31 percent of their monthly gross income. Next, the process to remove subordinate liens has been simplified. Payments made up front are now allowed to motivate lien holders to give their consent and release the liens; thereby making more borrowers eligible for the program. Also, the terms of financing have been expanded and now incorporate 30 and 40 year amortization schedules, thereby reducing payments amounts.
The "HOPE for Homeowners Act of 2008" creates a new Federal Housing Administration program that will back FHA-insured mortgages to borrowers that are facing problems and stress as a result of their housing situation. New mortgages that will be offered by FHA-approved lenders will encourage and implement the Refinancing of abusive, unfair and malicious loans to dramatically improved terms that will allow distressed homeowners who are having difficulty making their mortgage payments some breathing room and enable them to keep their homes and families intact.
If you or anyone you know is facing difficulties when it comes to making their monthly mortgage payments, NOW is the time to act. If you have any questions regarding how this program could work for you, contact your local Real Estate agent who can help you start saving your future today!
by Houtan Hormozian | Oct 18, 2024 | CRESTICO
The Hope for Homeowners program is what is being broadcast as the last hope for America’s Homeowners. Do you have a question about it? Read on for more information and feel free to use the contact information below, to get PERSONALIZED answers to any questions you may have!
As of November 19th, 2008. many changes have been made to the lending system in this country. Primarily, the loan to value ratio (LTV) has been increased from 90% to 96.50% for borrowers whose monthly mortgage payments are no more than 31 percent of their monthly gross income. Next, the process to remove subordinate liens has been simplified. Payments made up front are now allowed to motivate lienholders to give their consent and release the liens; thereby making more borrowers eligible for the program. Also, the terms of financing have been expanded and now incorporate 30 and 40 year amortization schedules, thereby reducing payments amounts.
The "HOPE for Homeowners Act of 2008" creates a new Federal Housing Administration program that will back FHA-insured mortgages to borrowers that are facing problems and stress as a result of their housing situation. New mortgages that will be offered by FHA-approved lenders will encourage and implement the Refinancing of abusive, unfair and malicious loans to dramatically improved terms that will allow distressed homeowners who are having difficulty making their mortgage payments some breathing room and enable them to keep their homes and families intact.
If you or anyone you know is facing difficulties when it comes to making their monthly mortgage payments, NOW is the time to act. If you have any questions regarding how this program could work for you, contact us and we will help you starting saving your future today!
by Houtan Hormozian | Oct 18, 2024 | CRESTICO
Ever since I decided to buy a home for myself, I have noticed more and more the increasingly unethical manner in which agents deal with their listings. Withholding offers, artificially inflating prices and then selling to their own buyers (so they can increase their own commission) at LOWER prices! It makes me wonder how this market is ever going to get fixed. In 2006, the problem was predatory lending practices, unscrupulous loan officers and unethical notaries. Today, it seems as if Real Estate Agents are making up for lost time and joining in the game. With today’s shortage of inventory, it’s not uncommon for an agent to sell a house within days of listing it and more and more, listing agents are holding out to find their own buyers so they can feed their greed.
The only way to remedy this situation, IMHO, is for sellers and homeowners to wake up and be a more active part of their home-selling process. Make sure that you clearly tell your agent you want to see all offers presented within a reasonable time of being presented to the agent. Make yourselves aware of the rules and regulations concerning listings and agency agreements with your listing agent. Below are a few sections of the MLS rules pertaining to offers.
9.4 Presentation of Offers. The listing broker must make arrangements to present the offer as soon as possible, or give the cooperating broker a satisfactory reason for not doing so. In the event the listing broker will not be participating in the presentation of offers, the listing broker shall clearly indicate this fact in the listing information published by the MLS.
9.5 Submission of Offers and Counter-Offers. The listing broker shall submit to the seller(s) all offers and counter-offers until closing unless precluded by law, governmental rule, or expressly instructed by the seller(s)/landlord(s) otherwise. The cooperating broker acting for a buyer(s)/tenant(s), shall submit to buyer/tenant all offers and counter-offers until acceptance unless precluded by law, governmental rule, or expressly instructed by the buyer(s)/tenant(s) otherwise.
9.6 Right of Cooperating Broker in Presentation of Offer. The cooperating broker has the right to participate in the presentation of any offer to purchase he or she secures. The cooperating broker does not have the right to be present at any discussion or evaluation of that offer by the seller(s) and the listing broker. However, if the seller(s) give written instructions to the listing broker requesting that the cooperating broker not be present when an offer the cooperating broker secured is presented, the cooperating broker shall convey the offer to the listing broker for presentation. In such event, the cooperating broker shall have the right to receive a copy of the seller’s(s’) written instructions from the listing broker. Nothing in this section diminishes or restricts the listing broker’s right to control the establishment of appointments for offer presentations.
In today’s economy you have to be your own best advocate and know your rights! If you want top dollar for your home, you have to be proactive and informed!
by Houtan Hormozian | Oct 18, 2024 | CRESTICO
These days, it seems like there are no homes for sale in Los Angeles. The end of the year though, has and continues to be a great time to buy because although most people are busy with the holidays – you can capitalize on a great deal! Another driving force is the expiration of the Mortgage Debt Relief Forgiveness Act. This Act is set for expiration at the end of the calendar year.
The federal government created this Act in 2007 to allow struggling homeowners to avoid being held responsible for the “income” they received when they managed to get out from under their heavy mortgages through short sales and other transactions. The Mortgage Debt Relief Forgiveness Act exempts current homeowners from the hidden income taxes that are normally incurred when mortgage debt is forgiven. With this Forgiveness Act not in place the IRS will consider the mortgage debt wiped out without actually being paid back as income and tax it as such.
Struggling homeowners now have another reason to try and sell their homes in short sales and other sales before the end of the year. This could create the right opportunity for a buyer looking to move before the end of the year. Some short sale servicers are even expediting these transactions to get a short sale closed before year’s end.
In this market where many homes are still underwater and retiring seniors are relying on the profits from the sale of their home, as a buyer, you might stand to benefit from the inventory changes. Contact your local Crestico office today for more information.
by Houtan Hormozian | Oct 18, 2024 | CRESTICO
So you’ve decided to purchase your first home. Here is some advice from the experts at Crestico Realty that will help you make the best decision for you.
Define Your Search ParametersAlmost 80% of all home searches today begin on the Internet. With just a few clicks of the mouse, home buyers can search through hundreds of online listings, view virtual tours, and sort through dozens of photographs and aerial shots of neighborhoods and homes. You’ve probably defined your goals and have a pretty good idea of the type of home and neighborhood you want. By the time you reach us at Crestico, you are halfway to home ownership.
How Long Should It Take?At Crestico Realty, we will listen to your wants and needs and arrange to show only those homes that fit your particular parameters. We will preview homes before showing them to you as well. On average, it takes anywhere from two days to six months to find your perfect home.
How Many Homes Will You See?Studies show that the your memory dramatically improves after consumption of carbs and slows upon consuming sugar. So, layoff the soft drinks and have a hearty meal of carbs before venturing out to tour homes. The average number of homes that we will show you in one day is seven. Any more than that, and the brain is on overload. Therefore, don’t expect to see 20 or 30 homes; although it’s physically possible to do so, you probably will not remember specific details about any of them.
The “Gold Shoes” ExperienceWomen will relate to this. Say, you need a new pair of gold shoes. You go to the mall. At the first shoe store, you find a fabulous pair of gold shoes. You try them on. They fit perfectly. They are glamorous. Priced right, too. Do you buy them? Of course not! You go to every other store in the mall trying on gold shoes until you are ready to drop from exhaustion. Then you return to the first store and buy those gold shoes. Do not shop for a home this way. When you find the perfect home, buy it.
How to Rate InventoryBring a digital camera and begin each series of photos with a close-up of the house number to identify where each group of home photos start and end. Take copious notes of unusual features, colors and design elements. Pay attention to the home’s surroundings. What is next door? Do 2-story homes tower over your single story?
Do you like the location? Is it near a park or a power plant? Immediately after leaving, rate each home on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.
View Top Choices a Second TimeAfter touring homes for a few days, you will probably instinctively know which one or two homes you would like to buy. Tell us and we will show you them again. You will see them with different eyes and notice elements that were overlooked the first go-around.
Making the SelectionYou will know what you like, and your Crestico agent, because he/she cares so much, will know too. We Real Estate agents are required, however, to point out defects and should help buyers feel confident that the home selected meets the buyer’s search parameters.
From this point, your friendly and trustworthy Crestico agent will call the listing agents to find out more about the sellers’ motivation and to double-check that an offer hasn’t come in, making sure these homes are still available to purchase.
That’s all there is to it! It seems like a lot, but don’t worry you’re in great hands when you have a Crestico agent to help you.
For More information please visit http://www.crestico.com – http://www.cresticorealty.com
