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Tracy, CA Real Estate News

By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
There are so many exciting changes that have happened for first time home buyers.   First the FHA relaxed the flipping rule. If you were an FHA First Time Home Buyer you could not purchase a property that had been sold within the past 90 days.  Guess what, now you can.  There are some rules, however, this is a great opportunity for first time home buyers. (We'll talk about those rules in the next post.) The First Time Home Buyer TAX CREDIT. You must be in contract by April 30th, 2010 for your primary residence. Your home must close escrow by June 30, 2010. You can read all the rules on the IRS web site by clicking on the First Time Home Buyer link. You, the first time home buyer, have been waiting for the right time to buy your FIRST HOME. The time might be right, interest rates are low...
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By Frank G. Silveria III, Frank Buys Houses - Sales - Property Management
(Frank G. Silveria Real Estate | Keller Williams Realty)
In an effort to expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties, HUD has announced a temporary waiver of the 90-day flipping rule. The waiver takes effect February 1, 2010, and lasts for one year, unless otherwise extended or withdrawn by HUD. The waiver is limited to those sales that meet the following conditions: All transactions must be arms-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and seller or any other parties participating in the sales transaction, including: Seller must hold title LLCs, Corporations and trusts must be established in accordance with state and federal law No evidence of previous flipping within 12 months Evidence that property was marketed openly, such as via MLS, auction, FSBO The waiver is limited to...
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By Christina ONeal, Realtor - Ripon California
(At Home Real Estate Group)
Thank you LITTON I faxed my short sale authorization for my clients last Thursday!!! & you won't believe what happened next!!! I got a fax 2 business days later from LITTON asking for me to send in 5 pertinent documents to get this short sale going. It is great. Now the wait :) my gut tells me that they are on the ball..... stay tuned for the outcome. call me if you want help short saleing your home at 209-321-6122 in Tracy, CA or nearby...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
WHO is the judge? Short Sale HardshipsWhen it comes to a short sale WHO IS THE JUDGE on what a hardship is or is not? Is it your local Realtor, your neighbor, you, the lender?  Bottom line it is the lender, and each lender is different, I'll go as far as to say each negotiator is different, to determine what is or is not a hardship.I had a prospective Short Sale seller in Tracy, CA ask me if I thought their situation was a hardship that would be approved by the bank to short sale their home.  I couldn't and wouldn't answer their question.Personally, I don't want to be the one to make that decision.I've been working the past 5 years in Tracy and Mountain House, CA helping home owners short sale their homes.  Homeowners are typically 30- 50% upside down in our local real estate market.  I...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
FHA is the NEW Subprime????   You hear the catch phrase that “FHA is the new subprime”.  Perhaps FHA heard it too, because there are some measurable changes coming including:  -lowering seller contributions -raising up-front mortgage insurance premiums -raising monthly mortgage insurance -increasing down payment for riskier borrowers Below are two Wall Street Journal articles worth reading if you work with FHA buyers or are a First Time Home Buyer who is using an FHA loan.   Wall Street Journal Reports: FHA To Lift Mortgage Insurance Fees   Wall Street Journal Reports: FHA Sets Tighter Lending Limits In Tracy and Mountain House CA our real estate market is dominated by First Time Home Buyers using FHA Loans or we have investors paying CASH.  What's it like where you are? If you work wi...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
  Great News for 1st Time Home Buyers & Real Estate Investors - HUD Relaxes the 90 day Flip Rule Real Estate Investors - Great news for you -- you can now buy a foreclosure, fix it up and flip it to a sell it to an FHA Mortgage First Time Home Owner.  Become a local Philanthropist by buying foreclosure homes and then help a first time home buyer use an FHA mortgage to purchase your property. FHA First Time Home Buyers - Great news for you!  1st time home buyers who are using an FHA Mortgage to purchase their first home can NOW buy a fixed up home the day it goes on the market.  1st time home buyers you no longer have to wait 90 Days to use your FHA loans to buy that great home.  A foreclosure someone has fixed up and now it meets the FHA loan criteria. The FHA Loan waiver will apply to ...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
  Susan Goulding | Keller Williams Realty | susan@susangoulding.com | 209-914-5573 2N18 Lakeside, Tracy, CA  SOLD Separate bonus room. Overlooking Crystal Lake in the San Joaquin River Club, private camp grounds, restaraunt and more. 1BR/1BA Single Family House   offered at $155,000 Year Built 1948 Sq Footage 1,300 Bedrooms 1 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 1 Uncovered spaces Lot Size .10 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION San Joaquin River Club is located close enough to the city yet far enough to be the serenity you're looking for. Complete with Club House, Chapel, Bar and Restaraunt, Member and Visitor Only Camp Grounds. This is a unique community of single family homes located on government land. Property is leased.   see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES...
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By Christina ONeal, Realtor - Ripon California
(At Home Real Estate Group)
Questionairre to see if you might qualify to do a Short Sale in Tracy? If you answer YES to any 2 of these questions, Call, email or text me.... 1)  Are you upside down on your home in Tracy, CA? 2)  Do you keep your mail unopened (even though you know you can't pay some of those bills)? 3)  Did you lose your job or have a change in pay recently? 4)  Did someone in your family pass away or come down with an illness that is making it hard for you to pay your bills? 5)  Do you own a home in Tracy, CA?  6)  Did you get a job transfer to somewhere other than Tracy, CA  & you have to move for your new job? 7)  Are you getting divorced or recently divorced? 8)  Do you have an addition to your family? new baby?  parents now living at home with you?  Meet with me for a private confidential cons...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
Short Sales - There are lots of questions about Short Sales. Does it matter if you live in Tracy, CA or Mountain House, CA? Are the answers always the same? A lot has been said, written and reported on about short sale. Here in the Central Valley of California, short sales are more prevalent than ever. The majority of homes for sale in the City of Tracy are short sales. The cities of Mountain House and Lathrop are dominated by short sales also. One thing is for certain that no matter where you live Real Estate is always changing. Do you know why Real Estate is dominated by Short Sales? Do you know what your options are as a home owner who is behind or about to be behind on their mortgage payments? Do you know how long a short sale can take? Do you know which banks move quickly and which...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
I'm not sure why the Short Sale vs Foreclosures debate fascinates me however, fascinated I am.  Perhaps it's my desire to help home owners in Tracy & Mountain House, CA who ask me "Should I stop paying my Home Mortgage?"The New York Times published an article about Home Owners who are choosing to walk away, why aren't more people making a potential financial decision to stop paying their mortgage?The New York Times article discusses how Morgan Stanley has "opted to no longer pay on mortgages of 3 large office buildings in San Francisco because it no longer makes financial sense, since they are so upside down, however there is no moral or ethical stigma associated with this 'business strategy."However, homeowners have stigmas and moral repulsion if they make the same "business strategy d...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
I was asked the following question:  If I were in charge of a bank would I approve Short Sales and take the loss or would I leave the non -performing loan on my books, therefore it would not SHOW as a loss at this time....... So WHAT WOULD YOU DO?? I'm not in charge of a bank - however, I do know that this isn't going to go away without cooperation from the banks.  They don't approve a loss on a short sale, they don't modify the loan, they wait and take 40% less in a foreclosures. Most of the loan mods I've seen are only going to prolong the inevitable. Yes we, the American People got ourselves into this mess.... however the banks/lenders were an equal party to the problem. The Federal Government DID not help anything by giving TART money to the banks that temporarily helped the BANKS. ...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
Wow, 17 home for sale came on the market in Tracy today.  This is huge news for Tracy Real Estate buyers. This shouldn't be news, however we have not had 17 new listings come on the market for Tracy or Mountain House on the same day for over 4 months. Most interesting is that of the 17 over half are REO/Foreclosure properties, the other half are Short Sale and 3 were put on the market and IMMEDIATELY went to "temporary off market".  Interesting time in the Real Estate Industry. Want to see the homes that came on the market today, then click this link. Thinking about buying a home in Tracy, want to know the homes that are for sale in Tracy, call us.
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
It's hard to believe it is only Monday.  When you work short sales in Tracy as much as I do, sometimes Monday feels like Friday.  Today was one of those days.  I've been working short sales in Tracy, CA for 5 years these are the first 3 in 18 months that we have not gotten accepted YET! If anyone can help - let me know. Suntrust - 16 month short sale, we were told auction was postponed, agent in town called today to say it has been assigned to her.  I've contacted SunTrust to be told they may be able to rescind the transaction.  So we wait a while longer.  Bottom line-- please sell to the buyer - not mine-- who has been waiting 8 months.  BEST -- let me be the REO agent.     Chase - approval given for $250,000 purchase price, negotiator - poof - GONE.  Please resubmit ALL documents.  3 ...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
  You have an offer that is CASH AS IS for REO Property in Tracy, CA..... Buyer chooses to do inspections.   Inspections are completed....... Handyman says $8000 in repairs necessary, this includes CLEANING the gutters..... Your buyer wants $6000 credit for repairs..... Ms Realtor, would you please submit my buyers Request for Repairs to your seller, yes I KNOW it is a bank, yes I KNOW it stated AS IS, however I want you to ask the Asset Manager anyway. Surprise, surprise -- Asset Manager says "YES, to $6,000 credit, reduction from purchase price."   WHY?   Net is still more than bank appraisal, a cash buyer is still better than starting all over again.    Hmmm..... point proven There is No Harm in Asking for a credit when you're making a cash offer on an REO property in Tracy CA. Real ...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
This question - Is it Immoral or lacking in integrity to STOP paying your mortgage? This question has been asked over and over again. I'm not here to give an answer.  I do know that in my communities of Tracy and Mountain House, CA the real estate market has taken a 50% dive in the past 3 years.  Numerous home owners have asked this question..... Here are a couple of things to consider.... 1) The homeowner didn't borrow money from grandma, friends and then say "Sorry not paying you and you can't have anything of mine." 2) This was a bilateral contract -- the BANK agreed to loan the HOMEOWNER money, using the HOME as collateral.  What does that mean?  It means - as long as the homeowner pays the bank they get to keep their house.  If the homeowner STOPS paying the mortgage the bank get t...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
Sadly enough the FBI is pressing charges against a mother and daughter team in my local area.  They were living in Manteca, which is 5 miles away.  They had a buyer in who bought MY TRACY Listing. I can't tell you how many time I've heard -- "OH WOW, I knew them, I did business with THEM." Their offence - putting people into loans they could not afford, promising a loan modification after the first payment was made... then they would disappear. It is such a black eye on our industry. It also begs the question - should you do loan and sell real estate. I know my personal opinion is NOPE, too much potential for a conflict of interest.  I'd love to hear your opinion on this.  
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By Frank G. Silveria III, Frank Buys Houses - Sales - Property Management
(Frank G. Silveria Real Estate | Keller Williams Realty)
OPEN HOUSE 730 Glencreek Dr - Tracy, CA Friday, September 25th 10am -1pm Saturday, September 26th 1-4pm Sunday, September 27th 11am -2pm The Silveria Team will be holding Open Houses all weekend at the above property. Please see below for home details: For Sale: 730 Glencreek Dr - $189,900   Listing Information Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 2.5 Sq Ft: 1572 Lot Size: .08 acres Style: 2-story Garage: 2 Car Schools: Jefferson School District/Tracy Unified Property Description This adorable Tracy Ca home just entered the market! It includes custom two-toned paint, hardwood floors on lower level & in 1 bedroom upstairs, carpet in living/dining combo & all other bedrooms. Laminate/tile flooring in bathrooms. Ceiling fans throughout. Granite counters in kitchen, & wanes coating in family room. 2 closets...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
Today Short Sale are getting approved, and some banks want the seller to help pay to close the deal.  If your loan is with Bank of America/Countrywide, or if you have a second and YOU ARE THE SELLER _ you need to expect to PAY something to contribute to the sale of your home. 3 of my recent Short Sale approvals in Tracy CA, and one in Mountain House expected contributions from the seller. Think of it this way Mr & Ms. Seller - if your bank said to you - "Give us $10,000 and we'll  put $100,000 in your account would you do it? Of course you would.  This is a similar situation.  The Bank (loan holder) is offering to eliminate your debt in exchange for you paying something.  Sounds like a deal to me. Yes you can still go into foreclosure, and I always recommend seeking the advise of a good...
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
 What is THIS? That's was the holler I heard from my buyer as they walked in to the garage. We call came running. This is a GIANT panda, that has a 2 ft high stand, I'm guessing this non-too-friendly looking panda in his stand is well over 5 feet tall. The real questions is -- WHAT WAS THIS PANDA USED FOR????  WHY IS IT IN THE GARAGE? Will the previous owners leave it for my buyers if they get thier offer accepted on this Short Sale?  Maybe we can negotiate it into the offer? So what is the strangest thing you've seen????? Can you top the Giant Panda?  
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By Susan Goulding, Northern CA - Tracy & Mountain House Real Estate
(Crown Key Realty, Inc; Tracy & Mountain House Sales and Property Management)
DO not tell me we have approval on YOUR Short Sale - when there are conditions that require my buyer to come up with cash...... My Buyer have been waiting since May to hear AN answer from the bank ON their short sale offer. I get "THE CALL" today, the message and email say "Great news the first and second have approved the short sale.  Give me a call when you get the chance" Imagine my surprise - and BOY am I glad I DID NOT call my buyers FIRST.  When I finally got a hold of the other agent this is what I heard. "Susan I am so excited we have approval on the first and the second.  Oh and BY THE WAY - the 2nd needs $10,000 MORE dollars, so your buyers need to bring $10,000 CASH to closing."  This is an FHA offer, if they had $10,000 more we would have been a conventional buyer. As far as...
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