Real Estate Blog

I really loathe this quote. It’s such a downer and so cynical - never mind that it’s so true. It doesn’t begin to lift my spirits or offer any hope. And hope is what we in the real estate world need, especially these days.

Whether or not you agree with the government’s October bailout program, it is, in fact, a reality. Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac are going to be working with delinquent homeowners to get them back on track so they can keep their homes. JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp and Citicorp are also falling in line to offer mortgage loan modifications to those who qualify.

Qualify - therein lies the rub.

The country is aware there are hundreds of thousands of homeowners in need of assistance who want to stay in their homes and be able to make their monthly mortgage payments. It would appear these lending institutions have laid out specific and clear criteria by which to judge whether applicants meet the standards for assistance. And as much as I’d like to think every applicant will be truthful about their housing situation, I’m reminded there are always “a few” who can spoil it for the rest. It even happened after the Twin Towers tragedy. Some people have no shame.

Here’s what Euro Pacific Capital investment manager Peter Schiff wrote in an e-mail last Tuesday:

“By offering to reduce mortgage payments to 38% of household income for homeowners who are 90 days delinquent, the mortgage program announced today will spark a new wave of delinquencies. In a classic case of unintended consequences, the plan will encourage homeowners to rearrange their finances to qualify for the benefit. Those who could conceivably economize to meet their existing obligation will now have a strong reason to forgo such sacrifices.

“The intentional reduction of income is also a possibility. In many cases dual-income families may decide to eliminate one job altogether as reduced mortgage payments combined with lower child care and other work-related expenses will likely exceed the after-tax value of the lost paycheck.

“It may also be tempting for some homeowners to temporarily quit high-paying jobs, or delay job searches, and accept low-paying jobs while the creditors consider their fate. Once their mortgage payments have been modified to fit their diminished incomes, these homeowners would then be free to pursue better-paying jobs. With mortgage payments reduced to a fraction of the prior payments, these workers will have much more employment flexibility than those foolishly struggling to meet non-modified mortgages.”

I’m not sure where Mr. Schiff is residing, but here in the state of Michigan, job-hopping is not exactly an Olympic sport. A year ago I applied for a part-time clerical position, working two days per week, with no benefits. I got the position - and had to beat out 300 other applicants. I just don’t think people are going to give up a paycheck or work for less in order to qualify for a mortgage reduction. It seems far too risky to me.

Quitting a “high-paying” job, which more than likely includes medical benefits, sounds irresponsible and a little nutty. I’m not saying it won’t happen, but my hope is that if lenders have learned anything from this fiasco, it’s that close scrutiny of documentation and strict adherence to qualifications by borrowers must be in place.

Something had to be done. The bailout may not have been your first choice, but now that it’s been implemented, let’s try and have a little faith in humankind. Otherwise it really doesn’t matter what course of action is taken - failure of people to have integrity and faith in one another will be the demise of us all.

Posted by Sharon Walker

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Aside from price, home buyers customarily have a laundry list of “needs” they would like to see fulfilled when purchasing a new home. Certainly there are those common factors, such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, garage size, etc. There are often community desires as well, like high-ranking schools, reasonable taxes and accessible shopping, to name a few. During the years, these amenities have remained fairly constant.

The new millennium has brought to light an additional necessity: broadband availability.

Once upon a time, having broadband in your home was tantamount to the introduction of the television in the early 1950s. Many Baby Boomers can remember a time when whole families were invited to a neighbor’s home to watch Milton Berle or the Saturday night fights. An entire scene in the 1985 movie Back to the Future conveys the uniqueness of the television experience in the home - no big deal to Marty McFly, but quite remarkable to his extended, “back-in-time” family.

For some of us, initial access to the World Wide Web, even through a modem, was awe-inspiring. Because of its limited ability, we might have had to wait 20 minutes for something to download. No matter! We felt like this was the “cutting edge” of technology and we were content to just know someone who had the Internet at home.

Today, many home buyers are adding broadband access to their list of real estate priorities. Urban workers who are looking for wide-open living spaces in rural communities may find getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city could leave them empty-handed when it comes to a high-speed Internet connection.

For “at-home” workers, whether urban or rural, broadband has become a huge factor in their choice of where to live - it is literally their lifeline. For the worker on the move, it’s great that many motels/hotels, coffee shops and fast food restaurants offer wireless access to the Internet, but at the end of the day, if they can’t work in their jammies, in the comfort of their own home, off-site Wi-Fi is of little consequence.

The importance of broadband access is surely a sign of the times. And like the demand to be readily available, the speed in which it’s delivered is entering a Star Trek dimension. Soon we’ll no longer be content to wait 5 to 10 seconds for information to download. Our expectations may be no different than the command of a well-known captain: “Mr. Sulu, ahead warp one.” I wonder if g-forces will come with that connection? 

Posted by Sharon Walker

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It’s just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, the beginning of what I call “Family Season.” Thoughts turn to gathering together with relatives and friends around a full and festive meal. It’s a time for preparation, not only inside but outside of your house as well.

This time of year, the outdoors hosts a number of wonderful aromas and experiences. There’s nothing like stepping out on an autumn Saturday morning to be met by the cool, fresh air that has the crispness of a Granny Smith apple. It can be invigorating and motivating. Here’s where you can spend some free time with your family and tackle some of those yard chores you’ve been putting off.

Tackling the garage can be a good family endeavor. If you have children, they can sort through and clean their summer toys and help put them on shelves or on wall hooks to take care of some of the clutter. Children can also help with draining the garden hose. And if you’re thinking about planting those tulip or crocus bulbs, showing older children how to use an adjustable bulb planter can help give a little ownership to the family flower garden. Don’t have a planter? What kid doesn’t like digging in the dirt? Give guidance while your child uses a good old-fashioned hand shovel to set the stage for bulb dropping.

It’s a good time to have plenty of rakes and yard bags on hand - if possible, a rake for each child, even toddlers. Many toy manufacturers make pint-sized yard tools, wheelbarrows and wagons that can allow the little ones to tote leaves and twigs to the bags. Just having them pick up twigs and such is a great idea - since they’re so close to the ground to begin with, it could save you from that backache at the end of the day.

Before bagging the leaves, the kids are going to want to rake them into a “giant” pile - the higher, the better. And like any other self-respecting parent, you lay aside your parental role and turn back the clock to the days when you thought fallen leaves were only meant for romping in. Go ahead and join the kids in jumping and rolling in the pile. Let the aroma of the dried leaves take you back to the days when you didn’t have a care in the world. Listen to the familiar crackling of the leaves and to the delightful cries of joy from your children.

Exhausted, lie on your back and look up into the blue sky, feel the warmth of the sun and know it’s at moments like these that you’ve helped create a warm, loving memory for your children. And in the end you’ll have a clean yard and the satisfaction of knowing you’ve given your kids a priceless gift: your time.

Posted by Sharon Walker

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Making the most of fall cleanup

I’m a Baby Boomer, born to parents who lived during the Great Depression. My mother was a very young girl during the Depression’s early years; my dad was in his late teens. Each walked away with different perspectives.

My mom always considered her family poor, living in rural Fargo, ND. My dad grew up in somewhat better circumstances on the island of Saint Croix, in the Virgin Islands. He was a Danish citizen until the U.S. purchased the islands in 1927 and he came to the States.

Marrying after World War II, they lived simply in Chicago in a one-bedroom apartment until I came along. My sister followed a couple of years later.

We were a family of modest means that thought nothing of eating leftovers. We were taught to throw garbage (litter) in trash cans and to pick up after ourselves in public places. Our week off of school in April was not referred to as “Spring Break,” but Clean-Up Week. Kids from our block got together to sweep sidewalks and curbs and eliminate trash. We were even given a certificate from the City of Chicago for our contributions.

My dad used to walk around our apartment switching off room lights, shouting, “What do you think, I’m married to an Edison?” I knew what he meant long before I’d ever heard the word conserve. He used mass transit to get to and from work.

I guess my point is this: My family didn’t need incentives - monetary or otherwise - to be kind to the earth. Whether poor or modestly well-off, families practiced good stewardship of their homes, property and community.

Our efforts were not based on fear, but on pride of our “little piece of real estate,” whether an apartment or a single-family home. I’m not sure when the message of personal and communal responsibility for the planet got lost, but I know it’s one I’ve been hearing all my short life.

When you think about it, at the infancy of our nation Ben Franklin was way ahead of the curve when he said, “Waste not, want not.” I don’t think it could be said any plainer.

Posted by Sharon Walker

It’s been 25 years since my first experience as a home buyer. We were thrilled to find a house that was in our price range, met our family needs and was in a desirable neighborhood. My recollection of that purchase may be somewhat rose-colored, but the biggest concern I remember having was whether the owner was going to accept our offer, and if we had any competition. As it turned out, both of those were non-issues.

Jettison to today’s home buying situation. My newlywed daughter and her husband are living in the home he has owned for several years prior to their marriage. Recently they began looking at larger homes outside the city limits with a few acres of land. I got a call from her after they made an offer on a house, in which she expressed her anxiety over the whole process.

A little second guessing on her part: Was their offer too low? Was she really in “love” with the house? Should they have looked longer? Although her husband has jumped through these hoops before, for all intents and purposes she is a “first-time” buyer. And I believe she’s experiencing the angst that seems to be typical of “first-timers” in this particular housing market.

Based on my readings, my advice to her and to others stepping out in faith to become homeowners is that long before you actually step inside of your potential “dream home,” you’ve got to do your homework.

Reflect upon these questions:

• Should I become a home owner? Your investment is not only financial, but time-consuming and labor-intensive. If you’re a renter, you’ll no longer have a landlord to rely on for repairs and outdoor maintenance. On the flip side, a home can provide stability for a family and an investment in the future.
• How much house can I afford? Sitting down and determining your monthly budget - including outstanding debt - should give you an idea of how much of your income you’ll have available to pay toward a mortgage.
• How do I begin a home search? It’s been reported that nearly 80 percent of potential home buyers begin their search on the Internet. There are a throng of listings that can be found online. Not only can you see photos of the exterior of a home, often there are multiple shots of the interior. Some even offer virtual tours. This is an unobtrusive way to filter through the market and narrow down the possibilities.

What’s next after selecting a few properties to view? Contact a reputable real estate agent. Don’t know any? An excellent resource is Connect2Agent. It offers buyers (and sellers) a selection of real estate agents, enabling you to select an agent who will best meet your needs.

Of course, any agent would be glad to work with a buyer who comes to them with all of their particular home needs and wants, location and a rough estimate of how much they feel they can afford. However, don’t you want to work with someone who is genuinely looking out for your best interests? Make sure you know who’s representing you.

What are the steps of financing a home? Your local housing market may determine how much of a downpayment will be necessary. Regardless of that requirement, your agent will undoubtedly encourage you to seek pre-approval from a lender. This means your lender is willing to extend a loan to you after verification of your income, assets and debt.

Once your mind is set on purchasing, allow your real estate agent to do his/her job. They know the local market well, have listened to your particular house desires and can arrange to show you your selections. Once you’ve narrowed your choices to one or two homes, take a second look. Don’t be afraid to open closets, look under sinks and behind the furnace. Remember: These spaces potentially could be yours. You want to make sure they’re adequate and problem-free.

Buying a home can be an exhilarating and traumatic experience. Doing your best to be prepared for the process can help take some of the anxiety out of the journey and leave you with the satisfaction that your new home is everything you wanted and can afford.

Posted by Sharon Walker

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If you think running for public office is daunting, try being a first-time home buyer!

“Change is inevitable,” or so the saying goes. The very young often balk at change. They have a need for consistency with defined boundaries. Young people seem to embrace change. Their desire for new and exciting events appears unquenchable. Middle-aged people struggle between seeking change and battling life’s changes, over which they have no control. The elderly are often frightened by change and long for days past when they felt more certainty in life.

Understanding that there’s no stopping change can make dealing with it much more palatable. For the past 10 months, the airwaves have been filled with promises of change from our local and national politicians. Each has his or her own idea of what will be beneficial and effectual change.

Voters will have an opportunity to decide whose “change package” they wish to support on November 4. But let’s keep in mind that the day after the election will show little signs that anything has changed. Many of us will still wake up next to the same spouse. Lunches will still have to be made for our children before sending them off to school. Paying the rent or mortgage and utilities will need to be done on a timely basis. Some will still be unemployed and others will trot off to the same job, like it or not.

But what about the change in the here and now?

Home buyers and sellers have been dealing with the catastrophic change of home values these past few weeks. Despite the conditions of the market, many sellers have an unrealistic perception that their homes have maintained their value through this month’s financial crisis. They recognize the need to address their spending differently, but are in denial about making adjustments in the pricing of their home.

Buyers, on the other hand, can get so caught up in “getting the best deal” that they lose focus of looking for the home that best fits their budget and their family’s needs. These are necessary mindsets that need to be adjusted now. The results of tomorrow’s election are not going to have an immediate effect on the realm of the real estate situation.

If you’re buying or selling a home, get with the program. Talk with someone who has a handle on the conditions of your market; a qualified real estate professional.

Be open-minded about the realities of the housing situation. Make informed decisions by listening to your real estate agent, and be prepared to be flexible. I think we could amend that old saying, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes,” - and change.

Posted by Sharon Walker

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My children are all grown, so I’m not dealing with their Halloween makeup, costumes and accessories anymore. However, I still enjoy greeting children at my front door with their bags held out in eager anticipation of the candy I’ll give them. As a participant in the tradition of “Trick or Treating,” I am very conscious of the children’s safety as they come and go from my front porch.

I think of my own childhood Halloween experiences growing up in Chicago. (That’s the city, not suburbia.) My parents would allow my sister and I to freely wander the neighborhood, up two or three flights of stairs to knock on the doors of the flats (apartments) of people we didn’t even know. We traveled in packs of friends, being loud as we checked our candy booty under the light of a corner street lamp. It seemed everyone became your neighbor on Halloween, even if they lived blocks away.

It’s a different Halloween “world” for kids today. Closely escorted by their parents, they move cautiously through their neighborhoods and subdivisions, usually knocking on the doors of immediate neighbors and friends of the family.

The caution I take as a homeowner is to provide a lighted area of my porch stairs, and rather than open my storm door to distribute candy, I’ve come up with a safer alternative.

Like so many people who have adopted the habit of changing their smoke alarm batteries at the time of the seasonal clock change, I use Halloween as a marker for my storm door change. I remove my screen from the door, which leaves that portion of the door completely unobstructed. It’s from this vantage point I distribute my Halloween candy.

Some children are a bit surprised to see my hand reach out to them while the door is closed; some don’t seem to pay any mind. For me, I feel I’ve just provided a safe environment for kids to receive the payoff of Halloween - a handful of candy. That’s part of what makes the holiday a sweet deal for me!

Posted by Sharon Walker

Providing a safe house for Halloween

The Internet is an integral part of real estate today. Technology can be used from the house-hunt up until the final days you close escrow. If you manage your real estate transaction with technology, you will be able to manage your time for other important things - like work, play and most important, family.

Let’s explore time management with technology, shall we?

House-hunt the smart way. You should be utilizing the Internet to research listings online. You can do this on many real estate sites, but you will want to get on an email automatic feed that sends you new listings that have come onto your local market. This can be found on many real estate agents’ websites.

Your real estate agent has better access to listing information because of technology:

“I’m not sure how anybody practiced real estate before the Internet. I am able to research listings better through recent updates with my local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). If I am looking for properties for a client that have a second downstairs master bedroom for an elderly parent, I am now able to put in that search criteria.” -Nancy Halvorson, Connect2Agent member and San Antonio Texas real estate agent.

Keep up on current local market price conditions. A good source for this information is individual real estate agent’s blogs. Many real estate agents will provide a monthly/bimonthly market report that will drill down the most recent sales to specific neighborhoods. This information is a good way for you to measure your budget against the subdivisions you are looking to buy a house in.

Partner with your real estate agent by sharing your real estate findings. Your real estate agent should also be able to communicate and update you online.

“I bought a house in the 80s and my real estate agent had a thick book that she used to show me listings. How did she find me a house? Today’s technology allows me to send some properties to my clients to narrow the list down. I also use Google’s Street View to see what the neighborhood is really like for the properties I am finding for clients.” -Halvorson

Once you enter into an offer to purchase agreement, make sure you keep in communication with your real estate agent. Texting and emailing allows you to set up appointments without having to be on the phone. This can be a true gift to busy homeowners pressed for quiet time to get out a phone call.

Use document collaboration to hammer out home inspection concerns and finalize final walk-through issues. A service like Google Docs will allow you to list your concerns and send notification via email to your real estate agent. Your real estate agent can then add their comments and the changes can be tracked. Document collaboration is a great way to make sure all parties are on the same page.

Once you close escrow, you can also use technology to say thanks. Say you care by sending an electronic greeting card or by letting your real estate agent know you think they are truly awesome.

Time manage your real estate transaction with technology - and breathe a sigh of relief today.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

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Time-manage your real estate transaction with technology

Most people think of their real estate agent as a one-time advisor. They assume a real estate agent can only help them with the pre-care of their real estate purchase. Once the sale is consummated, that’s pretty much the end of their relationship with their real estate agent. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Choosing a good real estate agent is the difference between real estate urgent care and routine real estate aftercare.

Good real estate agents want the relationships they make with their clients to have an impact. They want their clients to reap the value of their home purchase through regular maintenance. They want their clients to be successful by making home improvements that will hold their value. They want their clients to know they care and are only a phone call away.

“Many of my past clients contact me at tax time to help them get comparable home sale data for them so that they can dipute their real estate tax bill. They know that they can call or email me and I’ll be attentive.

“I also had a client who I set up two out of three bids for renovating their kitchen. My clients had relocated from Atlanta and I wanted them to work with a reputable remodeler. They were getting some major work done - new tile, backsplash and granite. My client ended up choosing one of the contractors I recommended, who gave them the lowest price and gave excellent service.” -Amy Patton, Connect2Agent member and real estate agent in Houston Texas.

Patton is not alone in providing aftercare service to her clients. Bill Grubb, Connect2Agent member and real estate agent in Haverford Pennsylvania, has always kept in touch consistently with his past clients to offer aftercare real estate services.

“Now is a good time to take care of deferred maintenance. I am doing this myself now. The past three years had been consistently busy and now I have some more time to take care of things that I didn’t before. I am getting a new garage door and having my house painted. I also have helped past clients with recommendations of contractors that will provide great service.

“It’s very important for homeowners who are considering selling their house to take care of their deferred maintenance. Home buyers in the current real estate market don’t want to do a lot of work. … They want the house they buy to be in move-in condition with easy, routine maintenance.”

Routine aftercare saves you from trying to perform real estate urgent care due to:

1. Loss of marketing time because of the poor upkeep of your house.
2. Loss of money from making home improvements that don’t hold their value.
3. Loss of money from paying a contractor who is overpriced and doesn’t perform quality work.

Good real estate agents can provide you with help in routine real estate aftercare. Good real estate agents are not anomalies. They are tried-and-true professionals who value the relationships they make with their clients.

Choosing a good real estate agent is the difference between real estate urgent care or routine aftercare.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

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Avoid real estate urgent care with routine real estate aftercare

Lots of change and lots of good news to post.  This is the fourth post in the Age of Empowerment Series is a pleasure to write.  I’ll cover the good of people helpin’ people and cap with a relief to your wallet these days.

Let’s Begin….

Last Wednesday marked Blog Action Day. October 15th over 12,800 bloggers participated and wrote posts on the theme of poverty- the stats and the facts, their reflections and actions to rid the world of poverty.  These posts encouraged action always- regardless of any current economic times…and the reminder that curing poverty empowers us all.

12,800 bloggers- blogged 14,053 posts- read by 13,498,280 neighbors worldwide

Heating your house in tough financial times could be tricky. Luckily the grassroots campaign to save Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was successful.  $5.1 Billion was granted to assist low income families and seniors with their energy costs.

Learn more about how to continue this help in the post that appeared on the Lee Street blog earlier this week, “The trickle down effect of homeownership in tough times…you can make a difference”.

Pulling up the rear of this good news party train was a sigh of relief heard round the country as we filled up our gas tanks this week again to low prices….gas in my town is right around $2.75…I can’t even remember the last time it was this low.

That funny thing called supply and demand is working it out at the pump.

Check out what gas prices are in your neck of the woods.

Search for gas prices by US Zip Code

Got some good news to share? Connect2Agent would love to hear from you.  Please share by commenting below.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

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The Age of Empowerment Series (Lesson IV)

Dear Mr. Stein,

I came across your oh-so-enlightening article on Yahoo! Finance today, “Why I’m Still Buying”, and wanted to share an important lesson with my readers, using you as a perfect example.

Thanks in advance.

Fellow Americans:

Mr. Stein wrote a post October 17, ”Why I’m Still Buying”, in which he gave his oh-so-narrow-sighted views on why our great nation is experiencing financial turmoil and what a glimpse into the future might look like.

Mr. Stein’s bent on the source of the weakened economy goes like this:

“Groups involved with civil rights issues and activities for poor people began to complain that poor people and especially non-white poor people got mortgages much less often than white well to do people.”

And foolishly continued …

” … the advocates for poor and black people had immense political clout. Under President Bill Clinton, they passed legislation that called on banks to be required to lend to non credit worthy borrowers.”

Stop - I need go no further. Stein continue to wax inanely, blaming the uprising minority homeowners for the subprime mortgage debacle and the shakedown of the American Economy.

On the housing front:

• There certainly weren’t any middle- to upper-middle-class trying to buy up on interest-only, adjustable rate mortgages and 110% financing products.
• There weren’t any homeowners using their home equity like ATMs.
• There weren’t any investors left holding houses, unable to flip them.

Did you, Mr. Stein, not profit from the subprime? Did you, Mr. Stein, complain about these loan products way back when? Did you, Mr. Stein, not enourage your audience to invest as you do today?

Thou doth protest too much, me thinks, Mr. Stein.

Let alone the problems with credit, the auto industry, healthcare and others that have remained near stagnant, needy for real solutions.

Mr. Stein: You could have used your platform wisely - but took the road adjacent to the gutter.

Thanks for showing my readers yet another example of a person in a glass house who threw one hell of a stone.

Get past the blame and get on with the solution.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

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Have you been through a real estate transaction where you just scratched your head and wondered why it couldn’t have gone a little easier? Do you read the real estate news or have discussions about housing and wish you could read a broader viewpoint?

You are not alone.

Amber Belbeck, homeowner and Office Administrative Assistant with Connect2Agent, wrote me today. During the weekend, one of our office meetings and her own real estate experiences gave her pause and she put pen to paper. Amber was gracious enough to allow me to share her thoughts on this blog.

Following is Amber’s letter to real estate agents.

Dear Real Estate Agents,

Don’t overwhelm your buyers by following their structure - take the reins and take them to the closing table faster!

Buyers generally have their desires in a home outlined and structured before they even start to contact a real estate agent - especially first-time buyers! It is great that they know what they want and have everything ready to assist you in doing your job quickly and efficiently. But the majority of home closings do not adhere to the ‘quickly’ part of that idea. In fact with some home buyers, you could spend months hunting down a house to match the dream home they’ve drawn up for you.

Buyers tend to know what they want in a home, and thus close off their peripheral vision to any other aspect of the home buying process.

It’s time to knock off those blinders and be proactive in closing buyers - faster, sooner, quicker!

How, you say?

Invest 10 minutes in your client. Maybe it will be a quick 10 minutes and then you are off to lunch, or maybe 10 minutes will turn into 30. Either way, this time spent immediately will save you months of waiting on that closing.

Scenario:

A home buyer calls you and introduces themselves - yay! A lead! Then they immediately start in on their requirements (single-family, 3 bed/2.5 bath, media room with leather seating, etc).

STOP them! Close your ears and don’t hear a word of it. This is where your 10 minutes come into play.

Instead, let them know you definitely want to hear what they are looking for and desiring in a home, but first you’d like to find out a little about them to help you better understand what they will need in a home (and community - and schools - and special needs and interests).

It takes no more than 10 minutes of conversation and asking the right questions.

You get home buyers into a comfortable conversation and listen to what they are saying without saying a word. Listen for the dogs barking in the background (mental note: will need dog-friendly area; dog sounds big - will need a good-sized yard with ample room to run). “Oh! I hear a dog in there, what breed is that? I’m a dog lover myself!”

Let them gush about their interests, their new job and how they have heard traffic is a nightmare in the area. By remembering the simple (and often forgotten) art of listening, we find the things that will be of concern to the buyer without them even yet realizing it will be a concern for them.

That’s it - it is that simple.

Listen to your buyers and let them close themselves for you - by giving you the keys to their perfect home.

Thanks for your time,

Amber Belbeck, a concerned homeowner for future homeowners 

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Are you a homeowner who needs to sell your house right now? Here are a few resources and alternative options I’ve previously blogged about to help you navigate tricky waters.

A convenience store lifestyle is what a home buyer wants … dig? - Explains the importance of listening to feedback from your real estate agent. 

Selling a house? Home staging dresses your house for success - Discusses the importance of staging a house to get it in the best, show-ready shape to compete aggressively against other houses for sale.

Success of short sales begin and end with a real estate agent’s expertise - Why it’s critical to work with a real estate agent who has training/experience in selling short sales if your house has to be sold on a short sale.

Stress busters for real estate sellers - Tongue-in-cheek advice for sellers. A good read to help keep the right perspective when selling your house.

Your real estate listing needs to be everybody’s business - Why it’s important for your house to be marketed everywhere possible.

Do you have real estate advice for home sellers to help them navigate tricky waters? Please share your advice by commenting below.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

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Navigating tricky waters for real estate sellers

This past weekend I paid my gas bill. Not a big deal, except for a review of my past winter’s bill made me call the gas company and get on a budget plan. Sarah, the customer service representative at my local gas company, was open to answering some general questions about the state of heating homes and how the economy is affecting the ability for people to pay their gas bill.

Sarah’s frank conversation opened my eyes to the trickle-down effect of homeownership in tough times.

I live in Wisconsin, which has been feeling the economic pain from an induced shot of a troubed national economy. Last Monday, General Motors announced it will cease production of SUVs in its Janesville, Wisconsin plant by December 23, affecting 1,200 workers. Additionally, rumors of a Mercy Hospital consolidation in surrounding towns has people talking and worried.

It’s easy to look at the big picture when we take the financial perspective to Wall Street. That’s where the media eye is trained to go. What about the truly hyper-local picture - where one or both incomes of a two-family household might be in danger on Main Street? How do you pay for the mortgage/rent, car loan, gas for the car, daycare, senior care, health insurance, groceries - the true basics?

How do you pay to heat your home? In Wisconsin, where the weather is not yet cold enough to mandate the heat as necessary for living conditions, homeowners’ inability to pay has increased, according to Sarah. If you are shut off before the weather mandates your heat remains on, you will be required to pay a deposit, even with heating assistance, before your heat can be turned back on.

In September, I wrote about LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) funding. It was created to help low-income and elderly families with their heating bills. My September 19 post, “Baby, it’s gonna be cold outside … keep heating assistance for low-income families alive”, was an update to a post I wrote last year about LIHEAP funding.

In that post, LIHEAP was trying to raise funding and the President had recently proposed a 22 percent cut in fiscal year 2009 for LIHEAP funding. I am happy to share this news from the LIHEAP website:

“September 30, 2008: President Signs FY09 CR with $5.1 Billion in LIHEAP Funding … This evening, the President signed a Continuing Resolution that increases funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to the Congressionally authorized level of $5.1 billion. This historic decision is the result of tireless work by the program’s champions in the House and Senate who recognized the vital need for more money in this program and refused to accept ‘no’ for an answer. ”

The website also recognizes the countless folks who continued to raise their voice in support of LIHEAP. The program will probably need an increase in funds as more people find themselves in a position where they are unable to pay their heating bill - but the first victory has come.

If you are in need of heating assistance, you can download an application by state or receive your state’s contact information at the LIHEAP Clearinghouse website.

I urge those who are not in need to lend their voice to support this effort, as I believe it will be needed. In the meantime, if you know of a neighbor in need, help by pointing them in the direction of this resource and by checking in. Use your knowlege to empower another.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

The rest is here:
The trickle-down effect of homeownership in tough times - you can make a difference