There are many changes within the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines which are causing some confusion in the Real Estate and Finance Industry. Let’s see if this brief list will help clear up some common questions or concerns.

Lenders must now provide appraisers a copy of the sales contract and all associated addendums. If a change is made to the purchase contract, the appraiser must be notified and updated paperwork made available.

Portions of a parcel may no longer be appraised. The current guideline states the appraised value must be for the entire parcel.

Sellers beware! If you thought the foreclosed property next door in your neighborhood was not included in the market value of your home, think again. REO’s, short sales and foreclosed homes now have to be considered by the appraiser in determining the market value of your home. The appraisal companies in the past were ignoring the REO’s, short sales and foreclosures.

You would think “common sense” would be considered in any new rules or guidelines. Here is another new guideline that is mandatory. If the appraiser has any financial interest in the transaction, the appraisal has to be verified by a third party who is “arms-length” from the transaction.

If repairs are needed that affect soundness, structural integrity or livability, the property must be appraised subject to the completion of those items. This is where we got the FHA 203K loan.

A supervising or review appraiser may sign an appraisal that was completed by an employee but if they do, they must complete their own inspection of the property. They cannot rely solely on the word of the employee.

Since this downturn in the real estate market, the Home Valuation Code was amended to cease “favoritism” or the “influence” of market values. Protecting the consumer was also taken into consideration. These are positive changes but I still foresee this putting a damper on the timeline that it takes to close a transaction.

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Knowing some initial steps to take prior to an Arizona Trustee Sale will lower your risks dramatically. You have an opportunity to buy a home with immediate equity which is a huge benefit that can outweigh the risks and possible ramifications.

There are several types of liens that can show on title of a property. First you have the mortgage liens, possibly 1st and 2nd mortgages. There could also be property tax liens, mechanic liens and IRS liens. Be sure you research all title history before bidding on a home at the Trustee Sale. If there is a lien that you’ve overlooked you will be responsible for it along with the mortgage liens.

Researching a chain of title to determine your lien position, as well as any liens that are not extinguished at the trustee sale, such as property tax and IRS liens are crucial. Once you’ve established your position and are comfortable with the existing liens that are valid, you can move forward to the next step.

Remember you are buying the property in an “As-Is” condition. There will be no inspection periods, no termite inspections, no home or seller warranties and no title insurance.

Once you win the bid, your bid deposit of $10,000 in the form of a cashier’s check is handed to the trustee. If you fail to close the transaction the following day, you will lose your deposit and possibly face additional legal ramifications.

Getting around the cash needed in 24 hours is usually done thru a pre-determined hard money lender. The interest rates are high but you don’t need the money for long. Usually less than 30 days as you will refinance out of the hard money into a conventional loan. And yes, you do need a down payment.

Once you purchase the home chances are they will require some maintenance. Most repairs will be cosmetic such as paint, carpet and drywall repair. You will need to bring the home up to standards before renting or selling the home. A percentage of the costs of repairs is usually decided or allotted prior to placing the bid and keep in mind you are buying a home with instant equity.

A buyer at a Trustee sale will never pay more than 70 percent of market value. A conventional mortgage will only loan 80 percent of the value in a refinance.

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Property Blotter » Race for The Cure
Lake Oswego real estate commentary, blog, market analysis, and community resources. … Property Blotter. Lake Oswego Real Estate Blog. « Community Gardens and the Bounty of Summer … Last year, even with the money raised, there were 40000 women in Oregon and SW Washington who should have had mammograms and didn’t. 75% of the money raised is used right here in our community. 25% goes to the National research effort. teamdianne2 Even more than inviting you to walk with me …  read more…

Lifestyle Property Solutions to Manage Sales & Marketing for JELD …
Portland – KLAMATH FALLS, Oregon Residential real estate sales management firm Lifestyle Property Solutions (LPS) has been retained by JELD-WEN Communities to. … Running Y Ranch and RidgeWater are two among several residential and resort properties in the Klamath Lake area that have earned JELD- WEN Communities a reputation for quality developments that celebrate the region’s spectacular natural beauty. What really appealed to us was the quality and thought given to …  read more…

Riverfront acreage | River Houses
Rhode Island Waterfront Property: Homes, Land And Acreage With … Oregon river front acreage. Pennsylvania lakefront lots … Pt Judith Pond. Rhode Island Sound. Sakonnet River. Scituate Reservoir. Tioque Lake. Wallum Lake . … read more… …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

Oregon Building Company Works through Downturn Focusing on Paying off Debt
LAKE OSWEGO, OR – During the building boom of the mid-decade, no builder in the United States grew faster than Oregon’s Buena Vista Custom Homes. In 2005 Builder Magazine named Buena Vista the fastes…  read more…

Do you beleve the world wide web is profitable ?
Have you found a website that sells the most remarkable things only to find you can’t seel them ?
How long have you poored over the internet to find that it is full of graeat opportunities and people…  read more…

What to Look for When Buying Waterfront Land
aking any type of property purchase requires careful thought and planning. However, when it comes to waterfront land for sale, you have to be aware of some additional real estate specifics. There’s…  read more…

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Lifestyle Property Solutions to Manage Sales & Marketing for JELD-WEN Communities Running Y Ranch and RidgeWater in … (dBusinessNews.com)
KLAMATH FALLS, Oregon – Residential real estate sales management firm Lifestyle Property Solutions (LPS) has been retained by JELD-WEN Communities to manage all sales and marketing activities for two of the company’s premier master-planned residential communities located in this region of scenic natural beauty.  read more…

$454,000 in stimulus funds go to Ozaukee County nature preserve (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
own of Belgium — Town of Belgium – The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust has received $454,000 in federal economic recovery act funds to help pay for creating wetlands and planting additional woods and grasslands at the former Squires Country Club along Lake Michigan, officials said Wednesday.  read more…

Madison County supervisors keep D’Amato lobby firm (The Oneida Daily Dispatch)
WAMPSVILLE — The Madison County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to keep employing the lobbying firm of Park Strategies.  read more…

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Resolved Question: Is it legal to fish in a lake on private property without a fishing license?
In Oregon

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Resolved Question: Want to get away from the big city but where?
I am a LA native with a young child. I am so tired of inflated property values for crappy homes, the noise, violence, attitude, gangs, bad kids no green space, no nature, bad air, air heads, fake personalities, new money entertainers, actors, paparazzi and the fact that family and marriage is not important anymore.

Where in Cali can I get some peace, pretty decent weather, acsess to streams or ponds, lakes or the coast, take a beautiful walk with my family, rent/buy an affordable house, and send my child to a good school all while living amongst other nice families.

I want to live where there is a local food culture, farmers markets, co ops, independent restaurants. I would even consider Oregon

BTW we are black and would love a diverse community or at least a progressive one.

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Resolved Question: any advice on hunting song dogs in the timber?
There are coyotes everywhere around southern Oregon. I see there tracks and hear them howl. However I have never been able to call one in. I live just west of Crater Lake. On the other side of the lake there is some desert where I have had success.(a tank of gas away) However I can’t seem to bag a timber dog. Are they smarter? I have even caught them with snares, but I really want to call them in. I know about wind and so forth. There is just not much open ground except power line trails and private property. Any advice would be appreciated.

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Are you at that age where you are thinking about moving into senior citizen housing? Many people have considered and moved to senior citizen housing when they retired.

Living in senior citizen housing has the benefit of having people that are of the same age as yourself living in close proximity to you. That way, you can talk about similar topics and do similar things.

Moving into a suitable senior citizen housing is very important. You should think about what the senior citizen housing can offer you. Ask if they have programs that get residents involved with the community.

Even though a senior citizen housing has a lot of amenities, you should still do some calculations and find out what you can afford. You want a balance between what you can pay for rent and the amenities that you want.

After you have done your calculation, start looking for senior citizen housing that fit into your budget. Begin online and go to senior housing websites. These websites allow you to search for senior citizen housing by your criteria.

Another method to find senior citizen housing is to ask around your friends or colleagues and see if they are living in a senior housing that they can recommend. If they are currently living in senior citizen housing, they can probably tell you about the good and bad of such a living condition.

Before you move into that senior citizen housing you think is wonderful, check out the reviews on it online. The reviews are from current residents and can tell a lot about a complex. Just because a complex looks pretty on the outside does not mean that it is a good place to live. Maintenance could be poor and staff could be very unhelpful.

When you go looking for senior citizen housing, be sure you find one that you really like. Since you could be spending the rest of your years there, it is important that find one that is suitable for you.

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For borrowers with a bad credit history, ‘no credit check loans’ may be the only realistic loan option available when looking to borrow money, as they are relatively easy to have approved. Having bad credit does not does not hamper successfully obtaining this type as loan as it would other types or borrowing. Also it does further damage the borrower’s credit rating as the credit agencies are not always made aware of this type of borrowing. This form of unsecured loan can help rebuild the borrower’s credit by making sure they make their payments without fail.

Similar to other forms of lending, applying for no credit check loans will require the applicant to go through a process of assessment. This involves providing evidence that proves certain criteria be met in order to get the loan approved. This will including having a current checking account, providing proof of current and past income and earnings plus status of current residency. If these criteria can be met then the process can be fairly straightforward, for this reason this method of borrowing has become known as – easy loans.

You may notice that some of the loans are called cash to payday loans. These are short term loans that must be paid back usually within a two weeks time. The reason that you must have an active checking account is, so that when the time comes to make your payment, the company that you took the loan out with will automatically deduct it from your checking account. They will take what is due along with an interest payment which can range from anywhere from up and over $50. This will be explained to you before signing for the loan.

There are many different types of these no credit check loans. Finding the one that is right for your needs should not be that hard. They are great alternative for the person in need of some cash and when they do not have the best credit. You may consider using payroll advance companies, cash advance companies and even lending institutions such as banks to get the loan.

There are obviously many banks that offer loans and various cash advance and payday loan companies to choose from. It should be remembered that banks may charge a high interest rate and that will be indebt to this financial institution until the credit terms have been met and the loan is repaid. If these financial obligations are not met than the bank could take action against you and deduct the outstanding amounts from your pay check.

Another variation of this type of lending is the ‘no credit check student loans’. For students looking to fund themselves through college financial demands and circumstances may require that a student consider this type of borrowing. No credit check student loans are ideal when other financial grants are not available or do not cover a particular borrowing need. A cosigner may be required by the lender to potentially cover any payments should he student get in trouble meeting payments. Students should be aware that this type of borrowing comes with a higher interest rate but for students with no credit at all this can be the only option available to them.

Tenants who are having difficulties meeting their rent payments have another form of no credit check loans available to them, these are commonly referred to as ‘loans for tenants’. They are just another form of short term borrowing that can repaid to the lender over the short term (just like payday loans) and they can be used by the borrower to meet their tenant payments.

No credit check loans are quick and quite easy to obtain. You will have to furnish certain information and make sure to make your payments on time. There are tons of great places that a person could check into when it comes to these types of loans. Just take your time and research different companies before making your choice.

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For quite some time, many people have been spending much of their money on various kinds of stocks. It was the norm for money mavericks to go after one investment to another which only left the new investors holding on to windfalls and not sure the best place, time and manner to invest. Similar to other kinds of investment plans, commercial investment is not for all kinds of entrepreneurs; investors must have both visions and money before venturing in commercial real estate investing. Additionally, commercial real estate investing demands for both luck and economic forecasting for one to be successful.

Commercial real estate investing can only take place in areas that are actually ready for development. It makes no sense whatsoever to buy into a shopping mall where all of the stores are sitting empty. Why buy a hotel if no one is living in the town, let alone visiting it?

Among the safest commercial real estate investments (you heard it here first) is a building apartment, condo or a multi-family home. These are the options that will still be available for use in harsh economics times as well.

Prior to making any commitment in commercial real estate, whether an investor is personally funding the property or not, it is important to think about both the capital, breaking even and the profits the business will yield.

If you have never ventured in investing or property ownership, commercial real estate is unsuitable for you. You might want to take investment and real estate courses before making any investment. This way, you can learn the related terminology and any new developments in the commercial real estate field.

Commercial real estate investing is certainly not a one size fits all plan for wealth. There are some areas that are going to be prime for multi-family home properties or that can actually bear a new shopping mall. The need for affordable housing will always be present, making apartment buildings a good consideration if you can find one at the right price within the area.

After you find the right property, consider its condition at the point of sale and how much time and money you will have to invest to get it to profitability. Remember, commercial real estate investing will be about more than just investing money- you will invest time and sometimes labor as well.

Purchasing a worn out building and renovating it to make it habitable creates more housing units in the location and can greatly improve your profit as long as you are able to rent out most if not all of the units in the building.

In terms of commercial real estate investing, buying into multi-family homes may be a slightly safer bet than larger apartments- provided that the rent that you charge for these dwellings remains affordable. Buying a duplex, which generally will mortgage like a single family home and then renting it out to two separate families means that one rental would theoretically pay the mortgage amount while the other could go toward improvements, paying down the loan faster or in an interest bearing account.

Not everyone can successfully invest in commercial real estate. For instance, profits will seem slow to the impatient investors. On the other hand, the lack of surety and variability of real estate businesses makes it a little bit risky for cautious investors. However, the dangers are significantly decreased when investors investigate the location and what it can handle.

Purchasing some multi family homes that are well maintained in a middle class level is not a bad idea. However, purchasing a hotel in an area that is not economically viable is not a very good idea when it comes to investing in commercial property.

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Capitol Hill Lawmakers has recently passed a bill to assist families with avoiding Houston foreclosures. The bill will allow homeowners to refinance their current loans and re-mortgage the loans to other loans that are backed by the government. Some of the homeowners in Houston are currently taking the steps to prevent their property from becoming another of Houstons long list of foreclosed property.

It is a sensible step for homeowners, since the economy is uncertain. With the economy, the way it is and the interest rates, fallen people are looking every day for Houston foreclosures. Some people however are renting some of their living space to others to save their home. Despite of the efforts the economy is suffering and the debt market rates are increasing, which is making it difficult for homeowners to repay their mortgage.

Our economy is suffering dramatically because of the greed that is surfacing. Bills are increasing, which is making it difficult for people to stay erect. Thus, people in Houston have to rent some of their living space just to make ends meet.

Nationally, people are renting some of their living quarters as well just to make ends meet and to avoid going on the foreclosure list. Some homeowners however do not have the option to rent space. Some of the newer areas will not allow homeowners to rent to others, since the deed they had signed prohibited this option. What do these people do to avoid foreclosure?

Many of them lose their homes because their options are limited, which is why we see a long list of foreclosed property in Houston. Houston is located at the southeastern parts of Texas and it is the seat of Harris County. It is located at the head of the Houston Ship Channel, which links the city to the Gulf of Mexico. The inland seaports are where the chief financial, manufacturing centers and distribution is seated for the United States. Texas was one of the largest cities in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States. People believe that everything is big in Texas so they migrate there to enjoy the new style of living. With cowboys and girls, they join. If you are looking Houston foreclosures now is the time to get started. Buying homes for 20 to 40 percent at discounted prices is no big thing in Houston Texas.

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Let’s face it; the housing market has certainly seen brighter days in the past than it is right now because with the economy in the state it is, many people are battling financially. In fact, the vast majority of us have needed to make certain sacrifices in order to stay above water and prevent unwelcome guests from knocking on the door. One advantage of such times however, is that you can purchase a home below the going rate, simply because foreclosed homes usually sell for a fraction of their original value.

As you probably already know, homes become foreclosed when the owners can no longer afford to pay the loan repayments, and considering that many such homes are virtually still new, you can often find a property which is in immaculate condition. On the other hand, you can also find one which is on the brink of collapse. Irrespective of the condition, the majority of banks and lenders prefer not to hold on to these for any length of time.

In addition to not paying the bills there may be other reasons the home was foreclosed on. We wont go over them all but suffice to say you can get a great deal if you play your cards right. Most banks or housing services just want to sell these things as quickly as possible. They have many ways to accomplish this to.

The most common method they use to shift foreclosed homes is by means of direct sales, and in many cases, the asking price is up to 50% less than the original price. Essentially, this is simply a way for the bank or lender to try and recover some of the losses because after all, it’s better to get something back rather than nothing at all.

The second most popular approach is for the bank to put the property up for auction, particularly if their main concern is to get rid of it. Obviously it is possible to pick up a property at an auction for next to nothing, depending on how serious and how keen the bidders are. Here again, you need to bear in mind that while many of the properties which are put up for auction are in pristine condition, others are practically falling apart.

In fact, with regards to the bank or lender, a foreclosed home sold at auction can in some cases end up being a better deal than if it had been sold by means of a direct sale. Regardless of the method by which they’re sold, foreclosed homes are becoming increasingly common simply because more and more people are finding it financially impossible to maintain loan repayments. However this shouldn’t put you off because in the vast majority of cases, if there are outstanding monthly payments, they are for the most part extremely low. Also, it is not uncommon to find a home which has been foreclosed and which still has all the furniture inside.

While it may not always be easy to win a foreclosed home which is put up for auction, it’s usually very easy getting one through a direct sale. Auctions are of course a bit tricky simply because there are also other people out there looking for that bargain of a lifetime. Above all, you need to realize that you simply get whatever’s available, so you need to exercise a certain amount of caution before committing yourself. In other words, you should essentially determine whether or not a property is in fact in as good a condition as it looks. Let’s face it; you don’t want to buy a property thinking it’s the best deal, only to find out a few months down the line that you have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars in order to get the place repaired.

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When home sellers accept a contract on MLS-listed property, the property’s official status changes from “Active” to “Pending”. By measuring the number of “Pending” homes nationwide, the National Association of Realtors publishes its once-monthly Pending Homes Sales Index.

The NAR assumes that 75%-80% of all homes pending will close within 60 days while the remaining will close within 120 days. Thus it is considered a prediction of future home sales.

But, although using the Pending Home Sales report as a crystal ball may be its intended use, it may not its best use. This is because of the index’s methodology: 1. It doesn’t measure new construction homes 2. It doesn’t track For Sale By Owner properties 3. Its sample set covers just 20 percent of MLS transactions

While the PHSI is an excellent way to guage demand for homes it fails to take into account other important factors. In a credit crunch like we are in presently many transactions never close due to financing problems.

We can guage the real estate markets strength based on the Pending Home Sales Index by whether it rises or falls. When it is rising we can be sure that there are presently more buyers in the market and usually more demand brings price increases.

The Pending Home Sales Index experienced a large increase in June 2008 for the 2nd time in 3 months. This occured even as most economists were calling for a decline. This indicates an overall gain in the market for demand.

Now, again, the uptick doesn’t mean that the pending sales will necessarily close, but it does tell us that more home buyers are finding “now” to be a good time to buy real estate.That sort of insight is what make the Pending Home Sales Index worth tracking. When buyer demand is rising, the real estate market isn’t usually far behind.

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Arizona’s anti-deficiency statue prohibits a lender from recovering against borrowers assets, such as automobiles and bank accounts, after the lender forecloses on the borrower’s residence. However, the type of loan and type of residence are key factors in determining whether this statute applies.

The requirements under the new law are as follows: single family homes or duplexes on 2.5 acres or less; must be utilized for dwelling purposes (occupied or partially occupied); and construction has to be completed on the property (not under construction). If the requirements do not meet the above standards then the property does not qualify under the anti-deficiency statue.

As for the dwelling, the home must reside on 2.5 acres or less and either a single family home or multi-plex property. It has to be a “primary” residence or at least lived in by the original owner for a period of at least 6 months. Since the law requires some form of occupancy that mean the law does not apply to homes under construction. That means there will have to be a “Certificate of Occupancy” attached to the home.

The law addresses two types of loans: “recourse” and non-recourse”. A bank or lender has “recourse” if the homeowner is liable for the entire amount due on all liens after the homes is foreclosed upon. That means the banks or lenders can aggressively pursue the homeowner for the unpaid debts through a judgment or lawsuit.

A bank or lender does not have recourse (non-recourse) other than to repossess the home. This is true when the requirements as stated above fall outside the laws parameters.

Typically, a first position “purchase money” loan is a non-recourse loan. In English, this means the loan on the home was originated at the time the home was purchased and the property was secured by a deed of trust.

An example of a recourse loan would be a home equity line of credit. The home was used as collateral but the loan was not originated when the borrower purchased the home.

Under the Arizona anti deficiency laws, the lender on the purchase money loan would have no recourse other than to take back the property. The lender who has the second position home equity line of credit could and usually does enter into judgment and possibly lawsuits against the homeowner.

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