What do Real Estate Agents do to Sell a Home?

Outside of the legal and medical professions, most industries are filled with people that work their tails off without the general public understanding their line of work. This is quite common for people that work in the real estate industry. Here are some of the many things that an agent does to sell a home for a new listing.

Extensive Photos

As the old saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Real estate agents will take lots of pictures to show off the best aspects of the home. When prospective buyers have an opportunity to see multiple pictures of a place before they view the property it helps to get the buyers more familiar with the property. It also reduces the number of people who are certain they will not buy a home based on the presence, or lack of, certain features.

Social Media Announcement

With multiple pictures of the property in hand, an agent can post to the various social media sites and alert all their friends and connections that the home is now available. With the multiple interactions found on most of the social media sites this is a great way to spread the word and let potential buyers know about the home's availability and best selling points. Good agents post to multiple sites like Facebook, Google +, Twitter and even Pinterest.

Newsletters

Many real estate agents connect with their past clients and prospects by sending out a monthly or quarterly newsletter. The newsletter can be sent via email or the old fashioned way of postal mail. This gives the agent a chance to pass along helpful information, such as home maintenance tips, energy saving advice as well as all of their new home listings. This is an easy way to reach people that may not be active on social media and still give them a chance to see the home in pictures.

Emails

Some agents aggressively market their listings by sending out emails to their prospective buyer base. These email lists are built over time from a multitude of different sources like, previous clients, internet leads and people that have signed up via their website. Since some home buyers can spend many years searching for a home, this large database of previous contacts can be a key component to selling your home.

On top of that, most agents will present any new listings to their own personal buyer clients who might be interested. Since they have in-depth knowledge of the home, it's much easier to explain the benefits. They will also share the new listing with other agents in their office/company in hopes they promote it to their buyer clients.

MLS Listing

One of the most important things an agent can do is list a home with the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This service is accessible by local real estate agents and to Realtors® across the country via certain home search websites. When a buyer comes to an agent and asks for a list of potential homes, the agent will use the MLS service to find all available homes in the area. Agents pay yearly to have access to this database in order to be ready when either a buyer or seller is in need.

Showings

When a potential buyer wishes to see a home the real estate agent is the one that meets them at the home and gives them a tour. This is where the real estate agent can show off the home and brag about the top features of the property. Agents often make themselves available day or night for showing to accommodate the schedules of both the buyers and the sellers.

Open Houses

Agents often hold open houses on the property. These typically occur on the weekends, most commonly on Sunday. Occasionally, open houses are held on weeknights as well. An open house provides a 'no pressure' forum for people to tour the home. Many times the attendees are not actively looking to purchase at that moment and many visitors will actually be neighbors. Either way, getting your home in front of the largest audience is key. Any open house visitor could know someone 'in the market' for a home who they may tell.

An experienced real estate agent will put together a complete marketing plan for any new listing to give their client the best chance of selling the property at the anticipated price. Click the following link to see how Rock Realty can successfully market and sell your house: Rock Realty Home Marketing Plan

CLICK HERE & LISTEN: 

http://realestatemarketing.podomatic.com/entry/2014-10-01T15_10_45-07_00

Real Estate Marketing "The Podcast" How do I get listings or deals? #Investor #Realtor

David Bartels LIVE from Anaheim CA presentation

805-413-8000
http://www.homeloanadvocates.com/

Banks grant short sales for two reasons: the seller has a hardship, and the seller owes more on the mortgage than the home is worth.

The seller will need to prepare a financial package for submission to the short sale bank. Each bank has its own guidelines, but the basic procedure is similar from bank to bank.

A few examples of a hardship are:
Unemployment / reduced income
Divorce
Medical emergency
Job transfer out of town
Bankruptcy
Death

The seller’s short sale package will most likely consist of:
Letter of authorization, which lets your agent speak to the bank.
HUD-1 or preliminary net sheet
Completed financial statement
Seller’s hardship letter
2 years of tax returns
2 years of W-2s
Recent payroll stubs
Last 2 months of bank statements
Comparative market analysis or list of recent comparable sales

Writing the Short Sale Offer and Submitting to the Bank

Before a buyer writes a short sale offer, a buyer should ask his or her agent for a list of comparable sales.

Banks are not in the business of giving away a home at rock-bottom pricing. The bank will want to receive somewhat close to market value.

The short sale price may have little bearing on market value and may, in fact, be priced below the comparable sales to encourage multiple offers.

After the seller accepts the offer, the listing agent will send the following items to the bank:
Listing agreement
Executed purchase offer
Buyer’s pre-approval or proof of funds letter and copy of earnest money check
Seller’s short sale package.

The Short Sale Process at the Bank

Buyers may wait a very long time to get a response from the bank. It is imperative for the listing agent to regularly call the bank and keep careful notes of the short sale process.

Buyers may get so tired of waiting for short sale approval that they may feel the need to threaten to cancel if they don’t get an answer within a specified time period.

That type of attitude is self-defeating and will not speed up the short sale process. If buyers are the type with little patience, perhaps a short sale is not for them.

Following is a typical short sale process at the bank:
Bank acknowledges receipt of the file.
A negotiator is assigned.
The bank orders a valuation of the property.
The file is sent for review or to the investor.
The bank may then request that all parties sign an Arms-Length Affidavit.
The bank issues a short sale approval letter.

Some short sales get approval in 3 weeks. Others can take as long as 12 months. A typical Short Sale transaction takes 4-6 months to complete.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: http://tinyurl.com/qa62n6h

Real Estate Marketing (The Podcast)

How do I get a listing or deal? #Investor #Realtor

Short Sales are BACK!

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GUESTS: 
Bryant Tutas 
407-873-2747 
Co-founder of www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com. Working Short Sales every day all day.

Real Estate Broker and Owner of Tutas Towne Realty. A virtual Real Estate company specializing in listing and selling Short Sales and REO properties in the Central Florida Area.

Finding solutions that get your property “sold” is what I do.

Folks, if you need to sell your home then give me a call today and let’s talk! 407-873-2747 All calls are confidential. I can help……

….if you’re facing foreclosure. www.CentralFloridaShortSales.com 
….if you need to sell a Holiday Home. www.BuyProperty.ning.com 
….expose your property to over 500 web sites. www.TutasTowneRealty.com 
….educate you on current market conditions. www.BrokerBryant.com

Mike Linkenauger 
904-733-4911

Main website http://www.short-sale-specialists.com

Short Sale Websites - www.ShortSaleHosting.com
Mike got his start in Real Estate in 2005 at the young age of 26. He immediately established himself as a top producer in the Jacksonville, FL market, moving into the top 1% of agents his first year in the business. As the Florida housing market became depressed in 2007, Mike shifted his focus and immediately found a calling in assisting home owners with a short sale. In no time he amassed an inventory of over 100 short sale listings and quickly established himself as one of the top short sale agents in the State of Florida. As his online presence grew, homeowners from other parts of Florida began contacting him for guidance with a short sale and to be connected with a local short sale agent.

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"We found Mike online, and, due to positive reviews, phoned him with a request to view houses in the Madison area. We gave Mike no more than one or two days notice, but he was happy to devote the whole of his weekend to us. Our entire house-hunting experience proceeded in similar fashion. We were hunting for houses long distance, so we would wait until an opportunity to travel to Madison presented itself, phone Mike, giving him one or two days to prepare, and show up to view houses. The process took roughly one year to complete. It was long and difficult, but Mike was always pleasant, never complained, made an effort to make himself immediately available, and was never pushy.

Mike is not like many real estate agents who simply want to make a sale, any sale. Instead, Mike made an effort to help us make an honest assessment of the properties we viewed, often pointing out problems himself. Mike left us with no doubt of his honesty and his dedication to his clients.

In addition, since we were shopping long-distance, Mike, with some help from his associate Bethany (who we found to be similarly pleasant and eager to be of service), even took hundreds of high definition photos of properties which he viewed in our stead, often with only a single day's notice. Mike, or one of his associates, would then promptly email the photos to us to view.

During the house-hunting process we changed our minds a number of times, imposed last minute requests, and even had some near melt-downs, but, through it all, Mike was responsive, cheerful, and level-headed. We cannot overstate how hard Mike worked on our behalf. We highly recommend him to any home buyers."

Graham S. & Janet H. (Middleton, Wisconsin 53562)
Rock Realty Home Buyer Client

Thanks for the compliments, and Congratulations on your new home Graham & Janet!

Looking to purchase a home in Wisconsin?? Contact Rock Realty! We would love to help!!

My fellow Short Sale Superstars how many times can you shake your head? 5 and even 10 Short Sales(COMPLETED) Doesn't make you an Expert... agents are playing with someones biggest investment...and biggest loss; agents should know what you are doing when they take on a short sale, PERIOD...So again I hear the tale of a listing lost to a Very Good Agent...who sucked at short sales....by the time the potential client realized it...it was too late to re-list and get it sold....UUGGHHH

So the story goes of a great couple needing to complete a short sale with 1 lien(we all know how rare and what a dream it is to just have 1 lien)with Wells Fargo...mind you the agent originally taking the listing was well known in that area...BUT, that agent also knew my team...it was not long after taking the listing that the essential hardships of having a short sale starting popping up, paperwork, participation requests, title searches, etc., etc...so we know...that is truly when the Agents that aren't in the trenches with this stuff every day start to flounder...which happened here...

Where the client needs HELP and someone who can maneuver ins/outs of a short sale, can knock down doors and get this transaction done...A Short Sale Superstar...you know by now if you are one or not...I am not knocking anyone, we all have strengths in our job abilities...I say stick with those, Maybe you can wing showing luxury homes if your just a "newbie"...maybe you can get that listing even if you have never listed in that neighborhood before...BUT DON'T TAKE A SHORT SALE LISTING IF YOU TRULY HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT DOING THEM....

I'm happy to pay a referral, I'm happy to help be brought in on the deal...I am happy to help them, BUT THEY NEED YOUR EXPERTISE AND HELP, DIRECTION, KNOWLEDGE REGARDING POTENTIALLY LOSING THEIR HOME...

If you don't have that, move over...But do it before they call me and realize...IT WAS TOO LATE!

Simple Ways to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

For those homeowners that have waited to sell their home, heed the advice of Nike: “Just Do It.”  Interest rates are still really low and the upcoming changes in mortgage lending may disqualify some buyers.  Now is the time to sell your home.  In order to help your home sell quickly follow the timely advice offered below.

Spend a Little Now to Get More Later

With so many homes available many buyers are seeking out a property that is move-in ready.  This means that small repairs and maintenance items will possibly turn off some buyers.  Take a walk through the home and pick out the small things that need to be fixed.  Leaking faucets, a chipped tile, a flaky bit of paint and other similar items can negatively impact the appearance of your home.

You should also consider spending a little money to get the carpets thoroughly cleaned and ask a local heating/air conditioning company to service your unit.

Put Yourself in the Shoes of the Buyer

If you are looking for a new home, what items are important to you?  The majority of people want to live in a clean home that smells nice with lots of room in the closets, cabinets and other storage areas.  Therefore, you should put a lot of time in to making your home look clean, neat and organized. Start with the cabinets and closets.  Remove as much clutter as possible and even add some shelves if it helps improve the look.  Go through all the rooms and put everything away in a nice, orderly fashion.  Finally, get a few aroma dispensers and put them throughout the house.

Make People Interested in Coming Inside

So many homeowners spend time, money and a lot of effort improving the inside of the home that they ignore the outside appearance.  It is important to have an inviting appearance.  Homeowners should trim all the bushes, clean out the gutters, make sure the driveway and walkway are clear and clean the windows.  For people that have siding, consider power washing the siding as well.  It is really important that the front door and the surrounding entrance area look clean and homey.

Two Important Rooms: Bathrooms and Kitchens

The bathroom and kitchen will usually have more influence over selling a home than any other part of the house.  It is a good idea to go through these rooms and spend extra time, and even money, to make sure they look attractive and modern.

Many types of cabinets can be painted with a little bit of planning and work.  All bathroom plumbing should be in good working order.  Make sure there is plenty of light with good looking fixtures and that the ventilation to both the kitchen and bathroom is more than adequate.  Also, make sure the counters are clean and devoid of clutter.

It may seem like a crazy idea to spend money on a home that you are planning to sell.  However, spending money in the right areas can greatly improve your chances of selling the home faster and may yield a good return on the investment.

Why list your home with Rock Realty?? Rock Realty Marketing Outline

Recent Testimonials: Rock Realty Client Testimonials

Thanks for following my blog posts.  As you know, I do short sales in the Portland area.  This is about a lower end short sale property in Portland.

Back in May of last year (2013) a lady called me.  She and her mother wanted to sell a property on a short sale.  I usually don't take transactions under $200K.  It is not because I am above that.  It is because, I have calculated that I may take too much work and not make the hourly fee worthwhile.

For Portland, a property under $200K is for sure a lower end short sale.  Anyway, what maters the most in a short sale, is total cooperation.  They were willing to vacate the property, clean it and let me know as soon as they were good to go.  I totally forgot about the subject.  Suddenly, I got a call in September.  They were now ready to list the property and were ready sign the listing.

Sometimes things start easy.  The next day after listing the property, I went to place a lock box.  As I was driving out, a saw an evident Realtor type lady park in front of the house.  From my car window I asked her if she was a Realtor.  Of course she was.  Anyway, a few hours later I got the offer from her for this short sale, plus a back up short sale offer.

The short sale was with Ocwen.   I had just closed a transaction with Ocwen.  That was the only part I did not like about this short sale.  It seems Ocwen has two branches.  One that works out of Texas through Equator.  The other one is in India.  To my luck, this short sale was with the Texas group.

The only part that took a while, was waiting for a document the seller could not find and had to be re-issued.  Other than that this was a fast deal.   I am usually present at the appraisal or BPO.   The BPO came laughably high.  Some agent from Re/Max did it.  I don't even remember the name or want too.  He called to ask if there was access.  Anyway, I was able to prove that the offer was very good and the BPO so far off.

So I got my short sale approval in about three weeks after I actually sent the documents.  However, the buyer's inspection showed mold in part of the crawl space.  I presented the evidence to Ocwen.  They adjusted their net so it now worked again for the buyer.  The short sale was approved in about one month total. 

Time Summary:

From listing to paperwork submission (including getting the offer) took one month.  This is because of the missing document stated above. 

Short sale processing  took another month

Closing was same week as short sale approval because it was a cash deal

In this transaction I made around $175 per hour.  Better than expected.

 Here is a link to the property in my web site PDX Experts Short Sale 2

and

We would like to introduce you to our home buyer specialist, Bethany Alexander, Realtor® serving the Oregon, Wisconsin area!

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"Mike & Matt,

Thank you so much for helping us find our dream home! We love it! Thank you for the many hours spent in research, travel, phone calls, and emails. Thank you for being open & honest with us every step of the way! We felt we could trust you 100%. We really enjoyed working with you and highly recommend you to others.

Thanks!"

Kevin & Abby G. (Madison, WI)
Rock Realty Home Buyer Client

Thanks for the compliments, and Congratulations on your new home Kevin & Abby!

Looking to purchase a home in Wisconsin?? Contact Rock Realty! We would love to help!!

The mountain tops are white again. Temperatures are also predicted to drop making it seem like autumn is giving way to winter in the region. Is the myth that the real estate market goes dormant like our lawns until Spring true?

Just as the mountains can be more of a psychological than physical barrier to travel in adverse conditions of snow or heavy tourist traffic, so can the changes of the seasons be a psychological barrier to Seller's perception of Buyer activity. The old days of moving your family in the summer when school is out are long gone. Life moves too fast for that. If you have a job transfer opportunity it is usually available immediately, not next summer. You may choose to move your family later to finish a school year, but we see families renting, or moving in with friends or families rather than forestall the sale of their home and move of the primary income provider.

If you are thinking of selling start by assessing your situation: Why do you want to sell? Do you have to sell? Do you have to move? How soon do you want to be sold and closed? Do you have to be somewhere? Are you looking to move up in the market? Move down? Are you behind in payments or struggling to make your payments? Whatever your reason, if you want to sell there is no reason not to be offered for sale right now.  We are in a seller’s market.

Many business successes are achieved by going in the opposite direction of the majority. If most people are waiting until Spring to list their home and Buyers continue to want to buy houses, you are much better off being available when the Buyer wants to buy rather than when Sellers think Buyers want to buy. Another big advantage to being on the market in the "off season" is to achieve separation in the market. When the glut of Spring inventory hits there is a lot of competition. Achieve separation in the market by being on the market.

 If you don't want showings during the inclement weather to protect your floor covering consider having shoe covers available. If you don't want to move in the winter consider a lease back situation that will give you time to experience a break in the weather. There are many more circumstantial situations you can create, but be sure you are true to yourself in evaluating their relative importance to you. Do you want to be sold and moved with a little moving stress, or waiting for the perfect situation and not have a Buyer to help you affect it?

 My Advice: Just as extreme heat in the summer slows the impulse looker, so do snow flurries in the winter. It doesn't stop the serious Buyer, however, and many homes are sold through the course of a winter. I love showing property in the snow because I know the Buyer is serious. Casual Buyers don't usually forego their creature comforts to look at property in challenging weather circumstances. Buyers in Northern Nevada are active year round. We may have more "bodies" through in the summer months, but there are more true Buyers per prospect in the winter. Be available and let them in and be sold before your neighbor is even listed.

There is no perfect timing in our industry other than what happens when a Buyer and Seller come together, whenever that may be. Control your circumstances and make sure that you are correctly priced, looking good, and ready for that Buyer that is looking to buy your home. You can't catch a fish with your hook in the boat. You can't catch a Buyer if you aren't on the market.    When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs... Experience is Priceless!   I offer a multi-media marketing plan with Television, Newspaper, and Internet.  Your referrals are appreciated!   

Kevin 775.813.2387

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"Mike Collins was easy to talk to and very good at explaining in detail all aspects of the short sale of the property. With a lot of patience, he walked me through the process of a short sale. He was understanding of my plight and very sympathetic.
Mike was a pleasure to work with and he is a man of his word.
Thank you, Mike, and best of luck to you."

Tom D. (Oxford, WI)
Rock Realty Seller Client

Thanks for the compliments, and Congratulations on your closing Tom!

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"I found Rock Realty on the internet while looking for someone to help us sell our house .. I called and talked to Mike, we set up an appt and he got the ball rolling... and wow did he get the ball rolling..he stepped up in every aspect.. the house was all over the net and we had people looking at the house right away .. he was right there every time we had questions and made us feel as if we were his only client.. he worked thru any difficulties we had without any negativities...our house sold Very quickly and Mike really stepped up through the whole process... Our thanks to Mike and Rock Realty"

Scott H. (Janesville, WI)
Rock Realty Seller Client

Thanks for the compliments, and Congratulations on your closing Scott!

Looking to sell your home at a great price!? Check out what Rock Realty can do for you!

Rock Realty Online Marketing Plan

(818)276-6882  Lupe Soto  Short Sale Negotiator (hablo espanol)  "NO commission"  por favor sirvase comunicar con Lupe Soto para explicarle como evitar embargo de su casa, condo o de su segunda inversion o renta hipoteca. Gracias.

http://www.ShortSaleAgentLupe.com

AREAS de servicio en San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, Ca

Arleta, Burbank, Canoga Park, Calabasas, Chatsworth, Encino, Glendale, Granada Hills, Hidden Hills, Lake Balboa, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, North Hollywood, North Hills, Northridge, Panorama City, Pacoima, Porter Ranch, San Fernando, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sylmar, Sun Valley, Sunland, Shadow Hills, Toluca Lake, Topanga Canyon, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, Universal City, West Hills, Winnetka, Woodland Hills, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills and nearby areas of San Fernando Valley,

Nearby areas in Los Angeles:  Santa Clarita Valley, Palmdale, Lancaster in North Los Angeles California, USA.

Counties:  Los Angeles, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Orange County, Riverside County.
TIPO DE PROPIEDADES:
Casas, Condos , Townhouses, Duplex, 2 casas en un lote, Unidades en Venta.

Unfortunately, not all Short Sale properties that are listed for sale in the Los Angeles area will close escrow. First, what is a Short Sale? If a home's current market value is less than the mortgage balance owed and the homeowner (borrower) cannot afford to make the mortgage payments, they will ask their lender(s) to take an offer from a buyer and approve a Short Sale. This a very different type of sale compared to the traditional real estate transaction. Not all real estate agents will have the training, knowledge and experience that is required with a Short Sale. So, choosing a professional Short Sale Realtor is important. The homeowner is already having a difficult time and does not need to become the agent's first short sale experience. 

If a trustee sale date has been set or the foreclosure date is soon approaching, that could put the Short Sale at risk. The Short Sale Agent and seller would have to work on getting the short sale package to the lender quickly and then, the agent must insist that the lender postpone the foreclosure sale so that there is time for a Short Sale. So, it is better not to wait if you are planning on a Short Sale. 

Sometimes, a lien or judgment will show up that affects the title of the property besides the mortgage loans. These liens or judgments must be cleared before a sale can close. Liens may include past due homeowner association (HOA) fees and state or income taxes. Judgments may be as a result of unpaid credit card bills, for example. 

Other reasons that a Short Sale might not be successful: 

All Short Sale lenders will require an appraisal on their behalf to obtain an estimate of the fair market value of the property before they approve an offer. Sometimes, the appraiser's value will come in "high" and the lender might want more than a buyer is willing to pay for the home. The Short Sale Realtor should be able to work with the lender to dispute the value (if that's the situation). 

If there is more than one mortgage loan involved, then a second lender will need to approve a certain amount of money for their settlement as part of the Short Sale. The first mortgage company dictates how much of the Short Sale proceeds they are willing to allow to the junior loans. If the junior liens want more money, there are ways that it can be satisfied. 

It is also important that the buyer that is purchasing the home be serious and qualified. The buyer should be able to obtain financing (unless they are paying cash) to complete the purchase of the short sale home. If the buyer cancels, another buyer has to be ready to go.

However, there is good news-- my Short Sales have been successful. So, Short Sales do close!

Note: While I was in the process of writing this article, I received a phone call from a short seller that had a trustee sale date within a couple of days. The homeowner was upset because they had hired a real estate agent to work with their lender on a Short Sale and the realtor did not properly communicate with the lender so the bank was not postponing the foreclosure sale. Seller was NOT happy. 

Google+ Sara Mehrpouyan CDPE is an Experienced, Knowledgable, & Trusted Short Sale Realtor Agent in Los Angeles area

los angeles short sale realtor agent

source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3765671/are-all-short-sales-in-los-angeles-always-a-success-

Rock Realty Client Testimonials

"This was a great effort from Mike Collins. He did a super super job with the selling of our home in Wisconsin. I could not ask for more from him as he kept me well informed of things going on and we are 1200 miles apart. He did more than a 110 percent job on everything. Even removing snow and whatever it took to have our home ready to show. Again, THANKS Mike for everything. Great Job!!!!!!"

Phyllis Pearson (Rock River, WY)
Rock Realty Seller Client

Thanks for the compliments, and Congratulations on your closing Phyllis!

Rock Realty is proud to announce: Michael Collins has received his Certified Distressed Property Expert designation (CDPE).

This is Michael's second such designation in the distressed property and pre-foreclosure field. He also holds the Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource (SFR) certification. If you are looking for a short sale specialist in the greater Madison & Janesville Wisconsin areas, Michael Collins is the Realtor® for you!

In fact, in 2012 Michael was involved in more short sale single family home & condo closings than any other real estate agent in the South Central Wisconsin MLS! He has represented both buyers and seller clients in Dane, Rock & Green Counties. In 2012 alone, he closed 8 Short Sale homes where he was the listing agent. Click the link below to see those sold listings!

Michael's 2012 Short Sale Closings

While prices are rising in the Silicon Valley there are still homes that are underwater and you may need to short sale your South San Jose home. If this is the case, don't wait!

Bank of America has instituted some new policies which can have a major influence on your South San Jose short sale.

Co-operative Short Sales: Bank of America has a program where they will let you know ahead of time how much they are willing to accept for you South San Jose home in a short sale. Once you agreed to do the short sale they would put a hold on foreclosure activity and give you some money at close of escrow.

The new policy is that there will be no holds on foreclosure until the offer is fully accepted by Bank of America. What this means is that if you can not make your payments  on your South San Jose home and want to short sell you can not wait. You will not be allowed to stay in your home for months trying to modify your loan and trying to get a new job. Once the notice of default has been recorded you will have 3 months to get your South San Jose home sold as a short sale before the notice of trustee sale is recorded. At that point you have another 3 weeks before foreclosure on your South San Jose home.

As any real estate agent familar with south San Jose short sales knows, they take time for approval. Even a Bank of America co-operative short sale can take time. 4 months is not unheard of to obtain approval on a South San Jose Short Sale, so if you can not make your payments, do something or you could lose your home to foreclosure.

If you have any questions about Short Sales in Santa Clara or San Mateo County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Inexpensive Ways to Boost Your Home’s Value

Although mortgage rates are still at an all-time low, there are lots of homes on the market for potential buyers to choose. This makes competition tougher for sellers. If you are in the market to sell a property, it might be wise to take some time and spend a few dollars on simple things that will yield great results.

Choose the Right Agent

Sometimes the most important thing for a home seller is the most overlooked. Get a real estate agent that is good for you. There are numerous agents available, all with various personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Here are some tips for finding an agent that you are comfortable with and can help move your property.

* Visit a few open houses: This will give you a chance to see the agent interact with other interested buyers. You can gauge their professionalism, demeanor and overall knowledge of the market.

* Ask your friends and family members for a referral: This can be an easy way to find a Realtor®, but use a bit of caution. An agent that has lots of experience selling country homes with acreage may not be the best choice to sell your suburban 3 bedroom home. Make sure to check out their other sold listings and see how many are comparable to your place.

* Do an online search: Check out agents online. Look for their website and do a little research. Is their site professional looking? Is it updated with current listings? How well do they explain the homes they are trying to sell now? Are there lots of pictures? Once you have found someone you like, give them a call and do a brief interview over the phone.

Paint

One of the quickest and cheapest ways to alter a room's appearance is by simply adding a fresh coat of paint. Most any able bodied person can work a roller and a brush. Choose a color that is a bit neutral but also bright so that it will make the room livelier.

Clean up and Streamline

Obviously, you want the home as clean as possible. Take extra care to clean the bathrooms and kitchen. Also spend some time organizing and getting rid of clutter. Remove any excess wall hangings. This will make the room feel more open and larger. Making a home inviting and spacious will attract more buyers.

Improve the Curb Appeal

Like painting, this will likely involve more sweat than money. If you have shrubs make sure they are trimmed and neat. Give the lawn a fresh cut. Put a new welcome pad by the front door. Also, include some type of attractive plant near the front door. Since this area will likely be prominent in pictures that are trying to sell the home you want it to look inviting.

Bridging Outdoor Areas with Inside Areas

Use decorative plants around the patio and deck as well as inside the home. Use comfortable furniture outside that has soft cushions. This makes the home feel bigger with more usable space outside that can be used in a number of situations.