Moe Giroux's (moeknows) Blog

It is quite clear to most of us that the primary cause of all the foreclosures we are now experiencing is the fact that too many lenders made too many loans to too many barely qualified buyers. Obviously, it is too late for those that have already gone through foreclosure, and it might be too lat...

I often meet with people to discuss their options with respect to their homes. Should they try to re-finance? Should they sell? Or should they simply stay put? Way too often the owners simply do not know what kind of loan they have. They normally have a good idea of the loan balance, and they usu...

I have listed several properties over the last few years where a short sale was required to sell the property and prevent foreclosure.  At times I have been successful, other times not. My suggested procedure has been to select a starting list price near market value, and then continually drop th...

I just closed with a buyer who bought new construction with very little landscaping. The buyer just called to get my opinion on what she should do regarding the planting of trees and the installation of sidewalks. I suggested to her that a relatively fast growing, large leafy tree at the southwes...

Some days we all could use a good laugh. Yesterday a client of mine, Mark, who I helped purchase a home a few years back called me for two reasons. First, one of Mark's relatives was moving to Denver and needed help finding a condo near downtown. Great, we all love referrals. Second, Mark stated ...

Yesterday I talked about a transaction that closed earlier this month where a possibility of loan fraud arose. Another interesting twist occurred during this transaction that I think can be educational to both other Realtors and buyers.The day before the contract was due to close, I received a vo...

Earlier this month my client, Karl, called me 4 days before we were scheduled to close on his first home. His loan was approved, the appraisal and property inspection were complete, and everything was ready to close. Or, so I thought. Karl says to me, "How do I get out of the contract?"I asked hi...

A client of mine, Erik, called me today and asked:"Moe, we are moving into our new house on 9/1/2007. My wife thinks we should change the locks, because we do not really know who else might have a key. What do you suggest?""Erik, unless the locks are damaged there is no reason to spend the money ...

I often receive calls from my clients asking questions about the real estate market, financing, and the whole home buying process. Today's question deals with financing.Clint asks: The Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) just lowered interest rates by .5%. How will that affect my loan?Moe's reponse: When ...