Realty World – BLUE | Property Group, Inc.

HELLLOOOO My Most Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area!!…  The “Question of the Day” is … Are you sure your realtor is licensed to do business?
Most sellers, buyers, soon to be in the market consumers and yes even fellow realtors probably don’t think too much about the licensing status of the agents they work with! And we all should know!! In fact its crucial to know… why would you work with someone who isnt licensed, why would you work with someone who has been disciplined or has complaints placed on his/her record?… As with everything else in life we must scrutinize the who, what and whys which includes “making sure your realtor is licensed and current” when it comes to working closely with that person regarding your home or any kind of property and where a huge amount of your life and money  is involved… Use a Licensed Realtor!
Jim Malmberg wrote a very insightful article on why its important to know the status of the realtor you work with…please take a minute to read it… and enlighten yourselves… http://bit.ly/A5hHlw
(the DRE – Department of Real Estate License Lookup link is inside Jim’s article… its FREE to use…do yourselves a favor and do this…)

I was approached today by a young couple who has been looking for a 3+ bedroom / 2 bath home in west San Mateo for less than $900k. From Crystal Springs Rd. in San Mateo to Ralston Ave in Belmont west of Alameda to Hwy 280. They are sure there are some hiding out there… Let me know if you are aware of anything not currently on the market under $900k in the areas mention – they are pre-approved and ready to buy!!!!!

“HUD” is an acronym for the U.S. Department of Housing and Development. When someone defaults on a HUD insured mortgage, the lender forecloses on the home. HUD pays the lender the balance and takes possession of the home. HUD then sells the home at market value through approved brokerages, such as Realty World – Blue Property Group.
 HUD foreclosed homes can be a great deal for homebuyers.  HUD tries to sell the house as quickly as possible.  You will need a loan pre-approval from a bank, not a mortgage broker.  We can assist in the pre-approval.
Anyone who can qualify for a mortgage or pay cash can buy a HUD home.  Contact us for a list of available HUD properties.

Definitely getting prequalified for a loan first, but you can get prequalified and start looking for homes at the same time.  A Realtor can help you with the process if you are unsure, even if you have a lender or bank that you want to use.  Knowing how much you can afford to buy will save you lots of time and effort. 
A Realtor will help with the details and the process of the loan and buying process.  Probably more importantly, especially in the beginning, they can help direct you towards loan officers that are good, as opposed to just available.
Once approved, you now have an established price range and can concentrate on identifying neighborhoods, as well as a Realtor who support your interests and shares your vision.

The qualification process is the same in that qualification is for the loan, not the house.  Both foreclosures and new homes will likely require a loan pre-approval.  The question should really be “Is it harder to buy a foreclosure or new home?”…the answer, depending on your area, might be yes.  With foreclosures in hot markets, you will be competing with multiple offers, some of which are all cash with no loan contingencies.  In this case, you will likely lose your bid to purchase. 
Although foreclosures can be a great way to get a fantastic deal, it is often easier to purchase a standard sale with a willing seller.
 

If you’re an agent, homeowner or potential buyer that is somehow involved in a short-sale transaction, you already know that delays from the bank can easily take months for a response…any response. 
Good News!  The Treasury Dept has released a new set of rules scheduled to take place in April of 2010.  Banks will have a scheduled time frame with which to respond to short-sale offers with strict deadlines and specific, approved documents for use.  In addition, banks will need to approve the list price before the house is offfered, which should also help to speed up the approval process.
But the program is not perfect…the program is voluntary for lenders who hold secondary loans.  More than half of homeowners have a second loan, with that number likely greater in high-priced California.
Nevertheless, short-selling is usually still a better option than having a foreclosure on a credit report.  On average, with a foreclosure, an individual will not be able to qualify for another loan for 7 years, whereas with a short-sale the time frame is a much more manageable 2 years.

Qualification for the new program is reasonable:

must be principal residence
must be delinquent
loan must have been made before 1/1/09
loan amount must be below $729,750
borrower’s total monthly mortgage payment must be greater than 31% of the before-tax income