Homes with NO Mello Roos in Antioch, CA. Homes with noMello Roosare said to exist in Antioch. An abbreviated explanation of Antioch Mello Roos costs are that they are in addition to the usual taxes associated with home ownership. They are primarily based on necessary infrastructure related to building a new subdivision. According to the Mello Roos District Board Community Facilities District many homes built in Antioch after 1989 have one form or another of Mello Roos  based upon the "livable" square footage of a home and this special tax allows for the financing of public facilities and services. The Mello Roos District Board Community Facilities District also points out the good news in that Mello Roos taxes do expire at one point or another as noted by the following information. "The... 01/17/2012

To condo or not to condo at Hillcrest Vista Condos in Antioch, CA.? The Hillcrest Vista Condos in Antioch are nestled in a lovely area close to Hillcrest Blvd. in Antioch. Lush greenery and foliage surround the complex with the condominium homes tucked away from the busyness of the world. The area exudes a feeling of peace and calmness. When deciding whether to "Condo or not to Condo" in Antioch it is a good idea to list your needs and wants in a home. If your list of needs/wants include: low or no outdoor maintenance, downsizing from a larger home, amenities such as a pool, work out room, and club house you may want to seriously consider condominium living. Association fees are in addition to mortgage payments and are usually for outdoor maintenance and upkeep. Most association fees ar... 01/17/2012

Picture yourself at Sterling Summit in Antioch, CA.? Picture yourself at Sterling Summit in Antioch . This lovely neighborhood in Antioch is located off of Golf Course Road and Frederickson Lane. Sterling Summit boasts a large single story model which is very popular with prospective buyers. Combining the needs of today's family for space, this home has 3,000+ square feet along with the convenience of an all inclusive single story and you have a sure winner. Sterling Summit also offers a variety of two story homes as well as single story. Some of the homes in Sterling Summit have lovely views of the hills or great views of the close by Delta, as well as wonderful amenities such as granite counters and stainless steel appliances. Sterling Summit in Antioch is adjacent to the Lone Tree Go... 01/17/2012

Are there diamonds in those hills at The Estates at Black Diamond in Antioch, CA?                                                                                                                                       There may not be black diamonds at The Estates at Black Diamond in Antioch, but that doesn't mean this subdivision is not a jewel. The Estates at Black Diamond are in close proximity to its namesake, the historic Black Diamond Regional Preserve Park. The Estates at Black Diamond in Antioch offer new homes designed for today's busy family. They are ideal for those that enjoy the outdoors, with nearby Contra Loma Regional Park, Lone Tree Golf and Event Center, the Delta and of course the Black Diamond Regional Preserve,There are also numerous Antioch parks sprinkled throughout... 01/17/2012

Picture Yourself in Canada Hills in Antioch?                                                                                          Just a short jaunt off the beaten path, and you can find yourself in Canada Hills in Antioch, CA. Canada Hills is comprised of lovely homes built in the mid 1990's with mature landscaping and ample space to call home. As an established neighborhood, Canada Hills, sits gracefully in the hills with the major cross roads being Hillcrest and Laurel Rd. Canada Hills in Antioch falls within the Antioch Unified School District. The schools for the neighborhood include Carmen Dragon Elementary School (K-5th), Black Diamond Middle School (6th-8th) and Deer Valley High School (9th-12th). There are also many private schools in Antioch including, Croosroads Christian... 01/17/2012

When looking for a new  home in Antioch, California the buyer always has to decide one important factor, do I MELLO ROOS or not? Now please bear in mind I am not a financial adviser nor am I a Tax Consultant, I am just a Real Estate Agent, but here is some information from Duane Gomer Seminars FaceBook Posting dated Jan. 14,2012, that may help you decide “Should I MELLO ROOS or Not?” The Wikipedia definition of a MELLO ROOS tax is……… A Mello-Roos District is an area where a special property tax on real estate, in addition to the normal property tax, is imposed on those real property owners within a Community Facilities District. These districts seek public financing through the sale of bonds for the purpose of financing public improvements and services. These services may include street... 01/14/2012

    Antioch CA – A successful short sale helps the seller to avoid any credit damage that could be brought about by a foreclosure. Such damage is not something to admire as it may take a minimum of seven years for someone before it goes off your credit report. That is why is it best to do all you can to avoid it. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. When you short sell you house, you will recover quickly from the dings of late mortgage payments, provided you can keep your other accounts current. In such a case, consider allocating money to meet basic necessities first. You also have to pay other bills to keep as many accounts current as possible. When deciding which credit bills to pay review the terms of your credit accounts. ... 01/10/2012

Antioch CA – While doing a real estate transaction, not all parties with a financial interest can be winners. However, a successful short sale is one of those rare cases where everyone leaves a winner. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. The Seller wins by avoiding foreclosure: This will also help the seller to avoid any credit damage that goes along with foreclosure. In essence, the property is sold and the seller’s lender pays all the costs associated with the sales process. In most cases, the seller can move on with their life without paying a dime out of pocket. The Mortgage holder wins by reducing the loss they incur to get the unpaid loan off their books: It is obvious that the costs associated with acquiring a property ... 01/09/2012

    Antioch CA – Working to convince a bank to approve a short sale is what I do every day. I work with lenders on a daily basis. I understand the importance of starting the process in a way that is likely to succeed with the lender’s loss mitigation department. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. I am always prepared and I maintain a high level of professionalism during the whole process because I understand how critical it is to get a short sale approved. The Lender wants a great file. I understand that I only have one opportunity to impress the lender with a professionally prepared file and this is exactly what they will get. This initial step often proves to be determinant on the lender’s decisiveness to approve your file.... 01/08/2012

Antioch Short Sales – 2011 by the numbers! Short Sales are a pain the neck. We all know this. Lately there is a feeling that Short Sales are getting easier and it may be true, but not easy enough. Looking at these numbers it also leads me to question the stated success levels of many Agents. Right Now Here are The Short Sale Numbers: Active: 92 Pending: 334 Sold December 53 Sold November 51 Sold October 44 Sold September 37 Sold August 49 Sold July 46 Canceled or Withdrawn form Market in 2011 441 Short Sales may be picking up a little but the number of pending vs how many are sold every month and then looking at the Canceled and Withdrawn indicates Short Sales are still problematic.  01/07/2012

Real Estate Investing in Contra Costa County - The Cult of Real Estate For those of us in California we study the Gold Rush of 1849 in school as it is a significant part of our heritage. One of the truths of the Gold Rush is that although some did get rich most did not. For many the Gold Rush was personal tragedy and failure. For others it got them to California where they found our real prosperity was our abundant natural resources and entrepreneurial spirit. (Oh How Times Change.) However, there was one group that in general did very well in the Gold Rush. People selling things to the Gold Miners; two that jump to my mind are Levi Strauss and Wells Fargo. (Yes Blue Jeans owe their origin to California Gold Miners and the fact the Levi Strauss found that once people got to California t... 01/07/2012

Reaching People Across a Culture I have a friend named Matt Vance. Matt came from a pretty rough background. I will let him share his story with you if he wants. But Matt met a man named Jesus and it turned his life around and saved his family. I got to know Matt when he was one of my sons leaders back in Ranger Kids five or six years ago and latter him and I had some heartfelt talks at a men's retreat. Matt ministers and works with other men coming out of the gang and inner city culture. Matt is a man to be admired. Matt's stage name is Least of All (His Group is Not By Sight - apparently there are a number of groups with that name.) to reach people that like this type of music with the message of Jesus Christ. Now Matt and I have different taste in music. Let me be Blunt – I don't lik... 01/06/2012

  Antioch CA – Most state governments have determined that the practice of offering consulting services to those with delinquent mortgages presents an opportunity for abuse. You don’t need to pay any consulting fees to get the help that you need to resolve your unpaid loan. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. You have a chance to work with your mortgage company to determine what options may be available to resolve your unpaid mortgage. If the problem that led to this is temporary, you may explore the option of a Forbearance or loan modification agreement with your mortgage holder. We offer a free guide to negotiating a loan modification agreement with your lender. There is a possibility that your situation may involve legal is... 01/05/2012

  Antioch CA – Patience, persistence, and a lot of experience is required to convince a lender to approve a short sale. It is a process with many steps. Do “NOT” allow a buyer to work directly with your lender! Don’t let the buyer speak for you. You will be required to provide so much financial information and documentation to your lender. This is not something to let your buyer discuss with your mortgage holder. If you do, you will have no control over what the buyer tells your mortgage holder. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Getting the best deal is always on the mind of the buyer. That could ruin the entire process. A lengthy negotiation period will leave you with absolutely no time to avoid foreclosure if the sale does... 01/04/2012

  Antioch CA – If you are selling your home, then ask the buyer to write a letter about why they want to purchase the home. If you are a buyer, then write that letter. Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. The listing agent will submit that letter along with the short sale paperwork. With a little luck that letter will help “grease the wheels” and cause the short sale to be approved faster. Short Sale negotiators are human beings. They have emotions that can be touched by a good story. These letters might sound like a joke, but they can make a huge difference. I’ve even seen home owners lose money on their sale because the liked a certain buyer over another one. In that case, the seller sold their home for several thousand dolla... 12/29/2011

  Antioch CA – We often get asked if a short sale is even worth the effort. “Do I need to have my short sale “Approved” by my lender before I put my home on the market?” one seller asked us. “When I called my lender they wouldn’t talk to me about my short sale. I am concerned that they might do that when I finally sell the property and I’ll never get the short sale approved.” Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. Here was our answer. Most lenders will not talk to you about a short sale until you have several things in place. They want a solid offer from a pre-qualified home buyer along with all the necessary financial documents. Why do they do this? Because they only want to process short sales that will sell and close. Now, I t... 12/28/2011

    Antioch CA – Some people think that short sales represent a bargain in the real estate world. Some people have said that banks sell short sales for below market value because they want to avoid foreclosure. That isn’t true. Yes, banks do prefer to sell a property in foreclosure as a short sale. They know that short sales usually sell for more money than a foreclosure. I am sure you are wondering why. Let me explain. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. The problem is that a lot of time the BPOs are inaccurate. A former short sale negotiator called the process a “BPO Mill.” The lenders care more about cost than accuracy. If your short sale realtor doesn’t understand the BPO process, then you are at risk. Here is what we do t... 12/22/2011

Santa Claus Sighting in East County Mall – Antioch Ca Last night I took the five youngest boys to see Santa at East County Mall in Antioch Ca. This Santa is very good, the best part was there were no lines at about 7:30 PM. Now there was a time we dressed them all up and where very formal about. However, we are now worn out parents of 6 kids and feel lucky to even keep them in the same place for brief moments. For some reason my 15 year old son felt this trip was beneath his dignity. There were a lot of pictures snapped trying to get smiles on all their little faces – This is as good as it gets. Merry Christmas from Gene and his crew! 12/21/2011

I am impressed! Fannie Maes new website is one of the best on line resources available for anyone considering what to do with an unaffordable payment. It is very thorough about short sales and loan modifications.  It provides real life scenarios, loan modification calculators, short sale videos, and information about the available options.  It has helped so many of my clients choose between a short sale, loan mod, or foreclosure.   It also contains information for a home owner to compare short sale vs. foreclosure or loan modification vs short sale or deed in lieu vs. foreclosure.  It also addresses: Options to stay in the home Loan Modification Refinance Forbearance Repayment Plans Deed in Lieu Options to leave the property Short Sale Deed in Lieu Foreclosure For Northern California Re... 12/20/2011

      Antioch CA – The right agent can make the difference between success and failure on your short sale. You risk losing a lot when your agent doesn’t understand short sales. The short sale can be denied and the home foreclosed. Then you have to wait five years to buy another house. Or, the lender may ask you to repay the loss. Click here to discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and avoided foreclosure. Here are the questions I would ask an agent before hiring them. Question #1: How many short sales have you listed and sold in the past 6 months? This is important because you want an agent who is up to date on all the potential issues. They should understand the short sale process from start to finish. Question #2: In the past, what lenders have you negotiated short... 12/20/2011