THE REAL AMY
Mostly about Real Estate.
Or me. Or what I'm into.
But entirely real.
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Real INFO | Short Sale Tips
According to the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.), less than 3 out of 5 short sale transactions close. By no means are short sales simple, but they are certainly doable if the criteria are met and they are handled the right way. C.A.R. very recently created a site just for short sale information that includes helpful tips for consumers—both buyers and sellers.
New short sale website from California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.)
Real NEWS | HUD Grant for Inland Valley
The governments efforts to stabilize the real estate market are certainly controversial—though whether you agree with them or not—they persist. One of the latest for the Inland Valley is a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the grant will go towards buying and renovating foreclosed properties in the Inland Empire for resale. Work begins as early as June.
Real EFFICIENT | Financing With PowerSaver
If you’re anything like me—you’d like your home to be as energy efficient as possible. Recently the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) launched a pilot program designed to help you do that—called PowerSaver. Qualified homeowners can borrow up to $25,000 to make energy improvements of their choice. The FHA also recently announced a list of PowerSaver approved lenders.
Make your home more energy efficient with the FHA's PowerSaver.
Real NEWS | Median Sales Prices for March
For those interested—numbers are available for the median home prices in March ’11 by county:
• Riverside County | $201,520 (down 1% from Feb. ’11)
• Orange County | $523,610 (up 5.5% from Feb. ’11)
• Los Angeles County | $282,170 (down 1.4% from Feb ’11)
• San Bernardino County | $130,690 (down .6% from Feb ’11)
For a look at other counties in California, as well as how those numbers compare to last year, take a look.
Real INCENTIVE | 3.5% to HomePath Buyers
A great reason for buyers to consider HomePath® homes—Fannie Mae will provide up to 3.5% assistance with closing costs for sales that close between now and June 30, 2011. This incentive is designed for people who are buying homes to live in—not for investors. Also, many of the HomePath properties are eligble for special HomePath Mortgage and HomePath Renovation Mortgage financing—qualified buyers can purchase with as little as 3% down.
HomePath® offers qualified buyers 3.5% for limited time
While I understand that using websites like Red Fin and Zillow can be enticing—they aren’t always up-to-date with the latest information from the MLS; to access the most accurate info, in real time—click below to set up a complimentary ListingBook account.
Search, sort, and make notes on properties you like; you can leave me notes and questions on anything you like. I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as I’m able.
Real RESOURCE | Start Searching the MLS
Outlook on the Spring, per Barbara Corcoran—as for waiting for the market to “bottom out” Barbara says, “I think you’re playing with fire if you wait it out.”
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