In our current Sacramento market, most everyone is underwater in their mortgage (actually, the state of California doesn't really have mortgages, it has home loans). Now how this effects you,  has everything to do with your options. If, like me, you have no plans on moving, AND you didn't get one of those handy-dandy pick a payment loans so that now your payments are outrageous, OR you have some other hardship that makes keeping your payments up next to impossible, then you can just stay put.   However, IF you are one of the Sacramento homeowners whose payments have gotten gosh-darn ridiculous, OR, you've had a run of bad luck in some other way, you may be thinking it's time to move on, both figuratively and literally. Assuming you don't qualify for refinancing (you'd have to have some ... 03/22/2010

Okay, so it's only a radio show, but hey, I am COMPLELTEY convinced that any of us can dramatically improve our businesses, our outlooks, our health and our skills by listening to the brilliance these great people share. Seriously, these are folks give us FREE advice to help our lives and Baby, it doesn't get any better than that! So Please tune in (or catch a past podcast) at www.InLoveWithSacto.com here's the guest I've got for you: Mark Ayers, Business Coach, helped with some awesome tips for professionals. Mark will be coming on the show periodically to help us with timely issues in our businesses and our lives. Eric Lofholm, National Sales Trainer, rocked our world with some really unique sales strategies. He even gave listeners a $499 FREE GIFT...just tune in and listen to the URL... 03/16/2010

If you're facing a Sacramento Short Sale (which is WAY better than a Sacramento Foreclosure!), it's important to keep up your HOA dues. Now I know, not everyone has HOA Dues, but some of us do. An HOA Due is something you will know whether of not you'll have because you have been paying if every month since you purchased your home. It's not part of your loan though, so it will have a separate billing. The point is that if you DO have an HOA Due, you MUST keep it current. Even if you are not able to make your house payment, it's important to try your very best to maintain that payment. Why? Because those HOA Associations can slap a lien on your property at the drop of a dime, and, liens on properties and short sales do not good bedfellows make. In other, less poetic terms, that HOA Assoc... 03/15/2010

Even though I'm currently earning my certification as a Sacramento Short Sale Specialist, trust me, I'm much more interested in helping my Sacramento sellers KEEP THEIR HOME! Seriously, I'd be so much happier listing your home later when it's not in a distressed situation! However, be that as it may, some of us are having a tough time and don't know where to turn. A short sale may not always be your best option...if you're not sure, please feel free to call or email me. Let's explore other options that might work better for you in the long-run, since that's my goal. Here's a little video with more info: 03/12/2010

When you go to buy a Sacramento home, and you’re filling out the purchase agreement (the offer), there is a page that contains some very bold typed. Just because the print looks dark and serious, don’t let it scare you. In fact, the clauses are there for your own good. After all, the last thing you want is for some legal battle to ensue and you to get stuck with your Good Faith Deposit tied up in court proceedings. Likewise, if you’re the seller, the last thing you want is for your home to be tied up in the wonderful judicial system….I’ve heard when real estate transaction gone bad go to court, it can take YEARS to settle. Now, THAT’S scary. Here’s a little video I did to ease your mind:   03/10/2010

  Let's take a quick look-see at the Sacramento home-scene, shall we? First off, in all of Sacramento County, for single-family houses (I don't care about condos and neither should you right now) for the FIRST WEEK OF MARCH ONLY: 2846  Sold and Pendings (not bad at all!) 6303  Current and Active Listings I didn't break current listings down by short sales because, well, I was out selling a short sale and ran out of time. But, I did want to give you 24 hour market watch update on my favorite zip codes (a.k.a. my area of specialization), Carmichael and Arden-Arcade, 95608, 95821: 7 new listings hit the MLS 9 price reductions 5 pending sales 2 solds So, in spite of all the doom and gloom that the media tells us, properties are still moving at a steady, albeit, somewhat slower pace. Prices... 03/09/2010

Yes, I said it, I know, it's terrible! Seriously, don't let the name of this post or the contents of this video scare you. The kind of sexy I'm referring to doesn't involve provocative clothing or "R" rated entertainment. In fact, my definition of sexy is simply "appealing." But the word sexy got your attention, now didn't it? AND, if you take my suggestion, then you will get the seller's attention too. Fair 'nuff? 03/08/2010

Many Sacramento first time buyers I work with seem to be a bit confused about why they need to put money down when they write an offer for a Sacramento home, so I thought I would explain it in this video. Basically, the Good Faith Deposit is simply the Sacramento home buyers' way of showing the Sacramento seller that they are serious about buying the home in question. It's not that different from a deposit put down on an apartment, at least in some ways. And, the good news is that if the offer is not accepted, you will automatically get your deposit check back, un-cashed. If your offer is accepted, then yes, the check will be cashed in escrow. However, if during the inspection period, you elect to walk away from the deal, you STILL will get your Good Faith Deposit back. Where you can lo... 03/02/2010

Well, this video was supposed to be about Sacramento Short Sales, but it ends with a howl! here's the video, then I'll clarify for you afterward :-) The point that I wasn't quite able to finish making (thanks to Missy the killer attack dog), is that when you're shopping for a Sacramento home, it's imperative that 1) you know exactly what kind of loan and amount you are pre-approved to get, and that 2) you only look at homes where the sellers are open to that kind of financing. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of FHA qualified buyers out there, which is great, however, there are also quite a lot of short sales and foreclosed properties out there...which isn't so great IF you are going with an FHA loan. Some sellers and banks will not accept FHA-financed offers, so be double sure yo... 02/25/2010

Here's a quick video with an update on Sacramento housing sales for this month...I know, the month isn't quite over, but it's February 24th, so almost! The figures are also in print below the video. Let me know if you have any questions! Okay, so basically, houses in Sacramento are selling: Feb. 2010 Sales: Total Sacramento homes that are sold or pending as of today:  3,439 Total active Sacramento listings:   6172 of those total active listings, nearly 4,000 of them  (3,822) are short sales. Please check out the video to see what I have to say about that. In a nut shell, FHA loans are not being accepted on many properties, so it might not be worth you time to even include short sales in your house hunting efforts....or at least be sure to work with an agent who is qualifying the propert... 02/24/2010

Here's a fun little video I did to remind Sacramento home buyers that the time is NOW! 02/23/2010

                                Orginally posted at www.InLoveWithSacto.tv 02/22/2010

For all my Sacramento and Carmichael short sale buyers out there...I thought you might get a kick out of this little video I made for you. Actually, I know some of you are getting as impatient as I am, however, we have to remember that buying a short sale in Sacramento or in Carmichael, is going to take a bit of time. 02/19/2010

02/18/2010

Forgive the video quality, but hey, I’m a real estate agent not a film producer! Well, it’s time for my weekly Sacramento business pick. If you’re in a Sacramento business that you think deserves kudos, just let me know and I’ll check it out (it’s gotta really be good though,  in order for me to recommend it to my readers and listeners!)     Today’s pick….. hat’s off to FAST SIGNS on Watt Avenue. Fastsigns® – Signs and Graphics www.fastsigns.com 624 Watt Avenue, Sacramento – (916) 488-4222 Robby Ricks, the owner, is a fellow Successful Thinker (successfulthinkers.com) and runs one heck of a sign shop. Seriously, I came in, not sure at all what I wanted, and they hooked me right up. And by the way, the prices rocked. The last decals I had put on my back window cost more and, I might add,... 02/17/2010

02/16/2010

Check out these great home owner tips for Sacramento residents, brought to you compliments of Scott Storlie of Pillar to Post-your eagle-eye, inspection guy! (contact info below) By the way, Scott was my guest last week on SACRAMENTO SMILES RADIO, at www.InLoveWithSacto.com with some terrific tips for buyers and sellers.  House Tips:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    In winter, by finding and fixing drafts and leaks, you'll have a warmer house and save money. Here are simple fixes that'll have you cutting your energy usage - and bills - by up to 40%. 1. Electrical Outlets.Look at all exterior wall... 02/16/2010

02/15/2010

02/11/2010

I'm super excited to show off my new website that has been designed to specifically help buyers or sellers interested in Carmichael, Arden Arcade area. But first, an update for our region. These are Carmichael, Arden Arcade Real Estate Stats for the dates of 2-01-10 through 2-11-10. These figures include zip codes 95608 and 95821: ACTIVE LISTINGS (Not short-sales)  141 ACTIVE SHORT SALES                     130            (a grand total of 271 properites currently on the market) HOUSES SOLD or PENDING               100 If you look at the figures above, you'll note that in just the month of February, we've already moved 100 units (houses). That means things are starting to pop. I've personally written five offers in this area, so I can see first hand that buyers are recognizing the incre... 02/11/2010