First Time Home Buyer Testimonial- Terrified Of Making The Biggest Purchase Of Her Life- Monica found me through a Craig's List Home Ad. She was one of the most "go get it" clients I've had this year. We must have looked at no less than 6  properties per showing, often 10. We wrote countless offers until she got her "FHA" offer accept. Thanks Monica, for trusting me with your purchase! Here's what she had to say: I was preapproved for an FHA loan through my bank and was ready to start looking at houses to purchase. I didn't really know how to go about finding a trustworthy agent, so an online search led me to Stephen Munson. As a single, first-time home buyer, I was terrified at the idea of making the biggest purchase of my life because I didn't know anything about the home-buying proc... 10/12/2010

A Great "Free" Gift For Your Clients-I noticed my "recently closed" clients was posting his big "move" on Facebook. His friends in turn were congratulating him and asking him to see pictures of his new place. A light bulb went on in my head and I quickly went to PhotoBucket and Created a Slide Show of his place and posted it on his Facebook Wall. 3 Things accomplished here: Clients Thrilled I took the time to Post his photos for him in a creative way! More exposure for Me! It was fun and made me feel good! Here's what it looks like. I did it in 5 minutes so I anticipate future shows will look much better given more time. Copyright © 2010 By Stephen Munson,Munson Realty –Homes For Sale Pasadena ca*A Great "Free" Gift For Your Clients-Fun-Fast-Easy!* 10/10/2010

The Measure Of Your Life Isn't What You Accumulate-But What You Give Away-(Dr. Wayne Dyer)We are so fortunate to be in a business that at times can be very lucrative. One of the blessings this bestows upon us is the ability to give back. Sometimes it's tough, especially in the beginning of our careers or when we hit tough times. Nevertheless, giving back not only feels good but it assures us that the abundance we receive in business and feeling good will continue to flow back to us. Recently I was challenged to find a charity or place to "give back" that I could really be passionate about. My habit and goal is to  set aside a percentage of the commission I receive from each deal to go towards "giving back" but I didn't know where to put is so it just sat in an account accumulating. One... 10/09/2010

FHA Approved Properties-What Kinds Of Homes And Condos Qualify? FHA Approved Properties-What Kinds of Homes & Condos Qualify: Once you are qualified for a FHA loan you will now have to find properties that meet FHA Guidelines. First Time Home Buyer Los Angeles-Pay special attention to this because many of you are going to be using this loan program!   Copyright © 2010 By Stephen Munson,Munson Realty,Homes For Sale Pasadena Ca.All rights reserved.*FHA Approved Properties-What Kinds Of Homes And Condos Qualify?Homes For Sale Pasadena CA* 10/09/2010

Homepath-What Is The Homepath Hot Property List? Home Path properties are Fannie Mae Foreclosures you can purchase for only 3% Down and Homepath loans are easier to qualify for than conventional loans. Find out how to access these Free "Homepath" property list  through this video.   Copyright © 2010 By Stephen Munson,Munson Realty,Homes For Sale Pasadena Ca.All rights reserved.*Homepath-What Is The Homepath Hot Property List?Homes for sale pasadena ca* 10/08/2010

  HomePath-What Is The HomePath Hot Property List?-Home Path properties are Fannie Mae Foreclosures you can purchase for only 3% Down. If you qualify for The FHA 3.5% Down Loan then it's highly likely you will quailfy for Home Path. Here are some other benefits of "HomePath". The benefits include: Low down payment and flexible mortgage terms (fixed-rate, adjustable-rate, or interest-only) You may qualify even if your credit is less than perfect Available to both owner occupiers and investors Down payment can be "gifted" or funded by your own savings; a gift; a grant; or a loan from a nonprofit organization, state or local government, or employer No mortgage insurance (Ask your lender for cost details on loans without mortgage insurance) No appraisal fees Also eligible for HomePath Reno... 10/05/2010

Top 6 Reasons Homes Don't Sell-Reason#6-The Realtor-Real Estate Marketing Technology is moving so quickly that simply putting a sign in the yard, listing it in the MLS and putting an ad in the newspaper will not sell your property. Buyers come from everywhere! They come from different neighborhoods, states and even different countries. Where do they start their search for your home?  The Internet of course. Statistics show that an average of 90% of buyers begin their homes search on the Internet, capturing a City Wide, Statewide, National and World Wide viewer is absolutely essintial in most markets (especially in Large Metro-Areas Like Los Angeles).   Now more than ever it is important for your agent to be Internet and Technology Savvy. Posting your home in the MLS and on a Realtors W... 10/04/2010

Top 6 Reasons Homes Don't Sell-Reason#5-The Seller- Sellers can unknowingly sabotage the sale of their home by either not following their agents advice or getting bad advice from friends or even a less savvy agent. A couple of the most common "deal killers" for getting your home sold are Showing Restrictions and Property Condition. Here's what I mean... Showing Restrictions-A seller that limits the number of showings to certain hours or insists that he or his agent always be present for showings may limit the number of buyers that actually view the property. Lock Boxes are also imperative. Today's lock boxes are very sophisticated and can not only track who has been in and out of your home, but you can control the hours that the lock box is accessible. Bear in mind that for many realto... 10/03/2010

Homes In Los Angeles For Sale- "3 Under 4" Hot Property List-In a Nutshell, the "3 Under 4" Hot Prop List is a list of Homes In Los Angeles For sale that have at least 3 bedrooms and are under $400,000((Condos & Town Homes As well).Many of these home qualify for Conventional and FHA financing and can be found in several excellent neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. Take a look at this YOUTUBE video and find out: What kind of home you can purchase under $400K How to get on my Free "3 Under 4" Hot Property List *There is no fee to be on my list, I just ask that when you find a home you like, make me your Realtor! Copyright © 2010 By Stephen Munson,Munson Realty*Homes In Los Angeles For Sale- "3 Under 4" Hot Property List* 10/02/2010

Top 6 Reasons Homes Don't Sell-Reason#4-Market conditions-Market Conditions refer to the number of other homes or properties that are currently on the market in a given area.  The more homes that are on the market, the longer a house may take to sell.  Market conditions may also be influenced by other factors including, the current economic market, the current unemployment rates, current financing guidelines and Acts of Mother Nature, such as Earthquakes.  All of these factors determine whether you are in a buyer's or a seller's market.  That being said, the way you and your agent look at things can dramatically determine the outcome of your homes sale. What do I mean by that? Well if you give into the media hype and neighborhood chat of "all of the bad things that are happening in the... 10/01/2010

Top 6 Reasons Homes Don't Sell-Reason#3-Lack of Attractive Terms: Location and price are definitely important but there's a lot of weight given to the "terms" buyers are looking for when purchasing you home. Let's face it; most buyers must get a loan to finance their purchase. There are very few "All Cash Buyers" Realitive to those who finance. Often the 10% or 20% down one needs for Conventional Financing is a Huge sum of money and prohibitive to many "would be buyers". But there is Financing out there that is realitvly easier for buyers qualify for and only requires 3.5% Down. It's FHA Financing and there's a good chance that your home already qualifies for FHA Financing. The good news is a that there are no extra steps you need to take other than meeting some pretty basic "structura... 09/30/2010

Top 6 Reasons Homes Don't Sell-Reason#2-Property Condition -When you begin to consider offering your home for sale, first ask yourself: Is your house in move-in condition?  Is there deferred maintenance?  Are the walls freshly painted?  The carpets recently cleaned or replaced?  Are all your appliances and fixtures working?  These are all things that must be addressed prior to putting your house on the market.  A property with and abundance of "deferred maintainance" may not sell unless you make concessions such as price. In any given market there are about 3 price brackets for a given home based on Property Condition: Top of Market Value (Highest Net Price)-If this is your goal, then the Property Condition for your home must be outstanding and highly upgraded realitive to its compatib... 09/30/2010

Client Testimonial-Friend Tagging Along For The Ride Turned Buyer -When between Acting Gigs my friend Kai decided to "tag along" while I "previewed" properties for anothe buyer. Needless to say, the rest is history! Here's what Kai had to say... Magnificent Munson. ‎‎  By Kaidy - Sep 30, 2010 Thanks to Stephen Munson, I bought my first home. Stephen is very knowledgeable, patient and understanding. When I met Stephen, we were just friends. I had thought of buying a place, but for one reason or another never took the first step. In this economy and the market as we know it, I was nervous so never pursued "buying" a place. I asked Stephen (as a friend) if I could tag along with him when he looks for houses. I was not even thinking of buying. I was just bored and thought it would be fun t... 09/29/2010

The MLS-What Is It?- As Realtors it's real easy for us to forget that many  First Time Home Buyers have no clue what MLS stands for regarding Real Estate. So here it is: The MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service.Essentially, the MLS is a virtual warehouse that Realtors use to "List" or "post" Homes, Condos, Townhomes and other types of Real Estate for sale.In essence, If it ain't here, it's probably not for sale. The same can not be said for Many well known real estate search sites out there. The information is often lagging and many homes that are no longer for sale, remain "active" and thus frustrate many would be buyers. Basically, the only properties that are not listed on the MLS are those homes "Sold By Owner". There are very few such listings and the mostly end up listed with ... 09/28/2010

How To Prepare A House For Sale-"De-Personalize" For Maximum Profit- One the most challenging ideas for sellers to accept is that it is time to "divorce" themselves from their home emotionally and look at the sell of their home as a "business". And in business, it is important for your product to "appeal" to as many potential buyers in your market. Most homeowners have spent years putting their heart and soul into creating a home that fits their families needs and personalities. So many memories have been created and "personalizing" your home is what made it a home.That's why you bought a home, isn't it? It's the same for everyone including us Realtors! But if you are serious about selling your home then I'll bet you want to maximize the profit you receive from that sale. And I'll bet ... 09/24/2010

I'M So Grateful I Chose This Business- How lucky am I ... That I chose a business that I can "Taylor" to fit my needs, schedule and lifestyle. That I can Choose Who I want to work with and serve That I can Work as much or as little as I like That I can manipulate the abundance that flows into my life That I am exposed to so many new people and cultures That I can make a real difference in the lives of the people I serve. That even in America's troubled times, I still prosper. That I can choose to work and operate on my terms. How Luck am I....   I'm So grateful I chose this Business.       09/23/2010

Los Angeles First Time Buyer | FHA-The Next Best Thing To "100% Financing"- I love FHA loans because they allow folks who otherwise couldn't come up with the 10%-20% Down payment conventional loans require.And they are responsible loans (as long as YOU the buyer are responsible regarding what you can afford) because FHA wants to make sure you get into a home that is not going to be a money pit. For Example: No major Structural issues (roof) No Foundation Problems Non working or missing appliances No Electrical problems No flooring (carpet, tiles etc..) No Mold issues And that's great for YOU as a buyer because you will be purchasing a home that is structurally sound. It's also good for the seller. Why? FHA buyers purchases are more "term" focused than "price" focused. In general, FHA b... 09/22/2010

Seller Be Gone and Let Me Sell Your Home(You Too Listing Agent)-I just finished showing a Townhome  to my very serious-all cash buyer. It took 2 weeks to finally get an appointment to see this Town Home because: There was no-lock box The listing agent insisted on being there The seller insisted on being there. Upon arrival, my client and I were accosted by two ladies (listing agent and elderly client) who "Sold" us every room in the townhome. The Agent would tell us all the "benefits" of the home(most very obvious and clearly a show for her seller) and then the seller would repeat the same dialog about the benefits. The listing agent would then raise her voice at her Seller and tell her that she indeed had "jus told us that".It was like watching a really bad version of "Golden Girls Be... 09/21/2010

Homes For Sale Pasadena CA- Must Have Pasadena Certificate Of Occupancy to Transfer- A little inconvenient for the seller maybe but the Pasadena Certificate of Occupancy offers protection on both sides of the home sale transaction. In order for the seller to obtain a Pasadena Certificate Of Occupancy there must be a  Occupancy Inspection done at the sale or transfer of a Single Family Home, Duplex, Condo or Townhome by the Code Compliance Section of the Planning and Development Department. Here's what they are looking for in the Occupancy Inspection: Electrical Plumbing  and heating systems Structural hazards They are also looking for Zoning Issues such as Illegal building additions Conversion of garages,attics, and basements to dwelling spaces are also checked.(very common in many Hom... 09/21/2010

Seller & Attorney Testimonial-Probate-Family Home Sold-There's really no good time nor is it easy to let the family home go, especially after 30 years and after a parent has passed away. Helping Majorie and her family get through this experience was rewarding in many ways. Helping folks let go and move on is a huge part of the process when selling a family home. If there were a lesson here it would be to be sure your assets (especially your home) are in a legal vehicle (such as a trust) to avoid probate. But that being said, this transaction went pretty smooth, even in todays market. Thank You Majorie for allowing us to be part of this turning point in your life What Our Seller Majorie Had To Say: "I would like to thank you for all your help in selling our family home of thirty years, ... 09/18/2010