Paying off an underwater mortgage and buying a better home could be the best tactic in this troubled market.
"If you are trading up, what better time than when interest rates are at record lows and the cost of the trade-up is much less than it used to be?" says Christopher J. Mayer, a Columbia Business School economist.
With 15-year fixed-rate mortgages at about 4.5 percent, it also makes sense to pay off the mortgage and keep the house. "At this point," says Jay Brinkmann, chief economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, D.C., "if they don't have anything else that is bringing a tremendous return, then they are buying themselves an annuity by paying their house off sooner than they needed to."
Source: The Wall Street Journal, M.P. McQueen (07/24/2010)
A question that can cause a fiery debate but it only leaves one correct answer.
Once a bank forecloses on a property and was able to sell the property for more than the loan owed, the profit is readily handed over to the defaulted owner. Then again, the certain fees or expenses of the bank would have to be collected as well. So the loan and fees would be collected and remaining amount returned to the owner.
Some would be:
Late Fees
Back Payments
Attorney Fees
Trustee Fees
Sign Fees
Closing Fees
Newspaper Publication Fees
Escrow Issues
Realtor Commissions
Back and Current Taxes
Back and Current HOA
Clean Out and Repair Fees
Therefore to conclude, if the property actually cost more than the loan, owners wouldn’t be allowing banks foreclose on their property. They would be selling it to save their credit.
With more home buyers interested in eco-friendly features, property stagers are placing more emphasis on the overall performance of green dwellings.
To give their listings a competitive edge, they can perform an energy audit and indicate the changes and upgrades made as a result to boost energy efficiency.
They also should provide a checklist detailing the benefits of the home's green features, ensure cleaning products in cabinets are eco-friendly and food in pantries is organic, and include an aesthetically pleasing recycling center that goes beyond the traditional blue bins.
Additionally, chemical odors should be eliminated from the home, living plants should be added a to help enhance indoor air quality, sustainable upgrades should be encouraged, and eco-friendly landscaping like vegetable gardens and native grasses should be chosen over lawns that require a lot of maintenance.
Source: RISMedia (06/16/10)
view of Pentagon CityThe expert says: “I understand. But no matter what price we set for your property, there is always a chance it may not sell. I would like to set an appointment to review the activity and reconsider the price in two weeks. We will be monitoring the calls from signs, ads, and open houses to determine our best strategy for locating a buyer. Then we will analyze this information and adjust our marketing campaign as needed until it is sold.”
— Rich Levin, Real Estate Trainer and Coach
It's true: we're still in a buyer's market. I don't see prices continuing to decline, but there are only two options if you want to sell your home: wait patiently for a buyer to see the value of your home, or lower the price to entice a buyer to act now. In the past, homes were selling for more than what they are worth. Today, they are probably selling for less than what they are worth. If you have the time to be patient, hold out to get your price. If you want to act now, don't worry too much because if you sell at a low price, you'll be buying at a low price.
Will NesbittWill Nesbitt is the Principal Broker of Condo Alexandria.
Eco-friendly homes are hot these days, and one way to make a property more saleable is to add a little green.
Real estate Web site HomeGain asked about 1,000 real estate practitioners to recommend low-cost green improvements. Here are some of their suggestions:
Plant native trees and plants
Replace air filters
Weather-strip and caulk doors and windows
Install programmable thermostats
Install low-flow showerheads
Install CFL or LED lights
Repaint with low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint
