Elkhart Subdivision REALTOR(r) Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty says 2009 Real Estate Sales as reported by the Elkhart County Board of REALTOR(r)'s totaled 1, 501 closed from January 1, 2009 thru December 31, 2009.  Of these 1,501 sales, 547 were in Subdivisions.  The accuracy of these figures is only as good as the Real Estate Agents who entered them into the system. The Top 5 Subdivisions according to Homes Sold were:   Clover Trails Subdivision in Elkhart Township, Goshen        16 Homes Sold Greenleaf Manor Subdivision in Osolo Township, Elkhart     14 Homes Sold Meadow Glen Subdivision in Baugo Township, Elkhart         12 Homes Sold North Meadow Estates in Elkhart Township, Goshen            12 Homes Sold Fieldstone Crossing in Jefferson Township, Goshen             9 Ho... 01/02/2010

Looking out my window today is looking out at a snowy winter wonderland here in Elkhart.  Cars are moving slowly and carefully down the street, reports Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty. I can't tell if it is still snowing or if the wind is blowing the snow off of the roof. Doesn't this remind you of how very lucky we are to be able to see in color most of the year? This looks sooooo black and white! The phone has rung several times today with buyers anxious to go looking at homes, unfortunately they wanted to see specific homes and they are occupied.  Looks like it will be a busy week for Home Sales in Elkhart #Indiana before the end of the year!     12/27/2009

According to Harris Real Estate University and Founder's Tim & Julie Harris, 2010 will be the year of short sales, reports Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston.  They are reporting that more than 10,000,000 home owners across the country are deliquent in their mortgage payments.  Many of them unable to get caught back up. That is approximately 1 in 7 households in distress and needing a Certified Short Sale Specialist to help them make sense of what it means to them, and where they go from this point forward. I am the Elkhart REALTOR you are looking for.  Witih 2 years experience in helping families who are behind in their mortgages by either pointing them to where they can get help to save their home, and for those who are unable to save their home, to sell it and move on with the... 12/24/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty has been helping homeowners in distress since early 2008, with selling their homes before foreclosure takes place.  Pre-foreclosure or more widely known "Short Sales" have been steadily increasing for years.  And they are not going away anytime soon. I know that home sales have risen more recently, mainly due to the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit, but the Mortgage Lenders are still inundated with deliquency. What does this mean to you if YOU are behind in your Mortgage?  It means that you are approximately 1 in 7 Home Owners that are in Distress.  There are estimated more than 10 million Home Owners across the country that are in default. I have experience and references you will want to read.  Some of them are post... 12/24/2009

Elkhart Reall Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty thinks sucess is sexy, and with sucess comes larger, bigger and more comfortable homes.  So can a house be sexy?  I wrote about a home that takes you from warm Brazillion Cherry flooring and cabnetry to icy cold stainless steel, all within the kitchen!  To me that is thrilling and gives me goose bumps, from warm to cold.  So I wrote the blog that way.  Is that professional?  What is your take on it? Will it get more attention?  Will a potential buyer be turned off or will it make them feel the same?  I look forward to your responses... 12/12/2009

Almost all Home Buyers are looking for a good deal, according to Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty.  Are YOU looking to buy a new home?  Are you thinking that now's a great time to find a bargain?  Before you make an offer, it pays to know a little about the seller's situation. If a home is being sold for below what the current seller owes on the property - and the seller does not have the funds to make up the difference at closing - the sale is considered a short sale.  Many more home owners are finding themselves in this situation due to a number of factors, including job losses, aggressive borrowing against their home in the days of easy credit, and declining home values in a slower real estate market. A Short Sale is different from a foreclosure, w... 12/05/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty continues her short sales tips for sellers.  In part 1 I urged you to consider a loan modivication first, click here to read the first post. If a Loan Modification is not available to you and you are considering a Short Sale, make sure you research, interview and google the names of the REALTOR(r)'s you are considering to represent you in this complex process.  Look for experience in all aspects of Short Sales. Hiring a qualified REALTOR(r) is your first step.  After you have selected one: Begin gathering documentation before any offers come in.  Your lender will give you a list of documents it requries to consider a short sale.  The short sale package that accompanies any offer typically must include:                1... 12/05/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty reports short sale tips for sellers: if you're thinking of selling your home, and you expect that the total amount you owe on your mortgage will be greater than the selling price of our home, you may be facing a short sale. A short sale is one where the net proceeds from the sale won't cover your total mortgage obligation and closing costs, and you don't have other sources of money to cover the deficiency.  A short sale is different from a foreclosure, which is when your Mortgage Lender takes title of your  home through a lengthy legal process and then sells it. Consider loan modification first.  If you are thinking of selling your home because of financial difficulties and you anticipate a short sale, first contact yo... 12/05/2009

According to Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty, the National Association of REALTORS(r) recently reported on the Treasury Department's release of the guidelines and forms for its new Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA).  HAFA is part of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). HAFA provides incentives in connection witha short sale or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure (DIL) used to avoid foreclosure on a loan eligible for modification under the HAMP program.  HAFA applies to loans not owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which will issue their own versions of HAFA in coming weeks. HAFA is a complex program, with 43 pages of guidelines and forms, designed to simplify and streamline use of short sales and deeds-in-lie... 12/05/2009

If you are behind in your mortgage payment, there are new rules, says Elkhart Real Estate Agent and Certified Short Sale Specialist Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty.  The US Treasury just released new guidelines that both you, the Borrower, and your Mortgage Lender must now complete and follow. Exactly what this means to you is this:  Once the Mortgage Lender issues you approval to sell your home as a Short Sale, both you and they must meet minimum requirements, AND they cannot require you to repay any portion of the first mortrgage! If you, or someone you know, are behind in your Mortgage Payments, contact a REALTOR(r) who is experienced in Short Sales, like Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty.  She is A Certified Short Sale Specialist here in Elkhart County and can be... 12/05/2009

Opportunity is knocking for those considering homeownership for the first time, says Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty. owning a home has it's benefits! Historically low interest rates, lower home prices in most markets and the first-time homebuyer tax credit - part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - brought first-timers to the market in droves throughout the year. In fact, these consumers represented about half of home sales logged during 2009, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, a significant increase from historic levels. And the favorable conditions that prompted many of these first-time buyers are likely to continue. President Obama in early November signed into law a five-month extension of the first-time home... 11/23/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty listed this cute house for sale on a corner lot in Homeland Subdivision, and has had multiple showings and multiple offers.  Could the housing market be on the upswing or does the short sale house for sale have appeal because it is a great opportunity to own a home at a great price?  So long as you are willing to wait for the complex short sale process, you really can make a great deal! Not familiar with a Short Sale?  A Short Sale is defined as the sale of a home for less than the current Mortgage owed on the property.  Not always a Pre-Foreclosure, sometimes a Short Sale is due to the market conditions where the house for sale is located.  Such as in a poor economy. If you seek information about Short Sales, Pre-Fore... 11/17/2009

River Shore Subdivision is located on CR 16 half way between SR 19 and Ash Road, in Baugo Township. This large home for sale features 3/4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths and a 3+ car garage. This short sale property is in the Jimtown School District and convenient to the US 20 Bypass. Boating, fishing and swimming in your in ground pool (now closed for the winter) will be at your pleasure, when you live in this home! You can enjoy an afternoon sitting on the multi-level deck and watch the meandering of the Lower St Joe River, grill out, play in the pool or just relax. The choice will be yours! Inside the main part of the home you will be awash in natural sunlight during the day from the wall of windows and the two skylights facing the back of the property. Nice and cheerfull! An upper loft is great... 11/17/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston has listed a new Short Sale at 23403 Crest Court, Elkhart. This beautifuly landscaped corner lot features 3 bedrooms and 1 bath and a great ground level deck with shading to enjoy your evenings in. The fenced back yard is also landscaped and shaded with a mature oak tree. What is a Short Sale? It means the property will be sold for less than the current mortgage. It also means that the Mortgage Lender has to agree to the amount someone is willing to pay, since they will be settling for less than full balance. Potentially this is a great bargain for you. Are you a First Time Home Buyer? If so you are elegible for the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit of up to $8,000, or 10% of the amount you pay for the home. There are some limitations, so give y... 11/09/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston has this to say:  For those who have decided not to decide about buying a home, Higher home prices are ahead... For several months now, I have been receiving multiple offers on properties that I have listed.  According to an article I read online,The Pending Home Sales Index says all indications show that house prices are indeed on the upswing. What does this mean to you?  It means the urgency to buy is increasing.  For several months, perhaps a year folks have been in no real hurry to make a decision on buying a home, even when they both loved it.  People are afraid that after buying, the price will drop even further, and they missed an opportunity to get an even better deal!  For those of you who have decided not to decide-higher home prices a... 11/07/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty fights the big guys who hold up short sale processing by filing complaints on her Clients behalf with the Indiana Attorny General's Office.  A little known rule in Indiana is the House Bill that demands that the Mortgage Lender MUST acknowledge receipt of an offer on a pre-foreclosure property within 10 business days, and make a decision as to acceptance or rejection of the offer within 30 business days.  There are only a few Mortgage Lenders who are complying. So, if you are behind in your Mortgage and would like to sell your home before it goes into foreclosure, speak with a Certified Short Sale Specialist.  This complex process is not for the weak or timid REALTOR! For more information, call Evelyn direct at 574-304... 11/04/2009

During our second day at the Indiana REALTOR Leadership Academy, after the Rainbow Leadership Style Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston and 17 others from around the State learned the Duck Theory of Leadership.  This was explained in detail by fellow Indiana Realtor Leadership Academy Student Barry Skalski in his blog.  Learn the"Ducks" principles here. If you are interested in Leadership and giving back to our Elkhart County REALTOR's, the 2010-2011 session will begin in October 2010.  This is a wonderful thing to participate in and the benefit to you is tremendous...  Contact Evelyn Johnston with Prudential One Realty at 574-304-7148 for more information on how you can serve! 10/18/2009

Beautiful Camp Ransburg in Bloomington, Indiana, was the location of the first meeting of the Indiana REALTOR's(r) Leadership Academy that Elkhart Indiana Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnstonattended.  The turning of the leaves, the smell of burning leaves and the definite chill in the air all worked together to bring 17 REALTOR's(r) from across the State together to learn about Leadership! Some of us had met or talked with one another in our own markets while conducting normal Real Estate Business, but for most of us this was where we met for the first time.  Within hours, we were on our way to becoming friends. The C.O.P.E. Course Leaders at Camp Ransburg started us off with a clever way of learning each others names and after a few more "thought provoking" games to teach us to think out... 10/18/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston talks about selling to different generations, part 3, Generation X. Age plays a critical role in customer buying decisions.  In fact, the generation into which we are born has as much impact on buying and purchasing decisions as income and education.  Our shared experiences determine what motivates us toward or away from a sale, according to the report I received from Scott York of Metropolitan Title Company here in Elkhart.  He may be reached at 574-293-9111. Part 1 was about Seniors/Mature generation, you can read about that here. Let's see what we have on Generation Y: Watched parents and grandparents deal with change-growing up in a world that is constantly in motion, revising and restructuring Amazing optimism-goal oriented Color blind when... 10/03/2009

Elkhart Real Estate Agent Evelyn Johnston talks about selling to different generations, part 3, Generation X. Age plays a critical role in customer buying decisions.  In fact, the generation into which we are born has as much impact on buying and purchasing decisions as income and education.  Our shared experiences determine what motivates us toward or away from a sale, according to the report I received from Scott York of Metropolitan Title Company here in Elkhart.  He may be reached at 574-293-9111. Part 1 was about Seniors/Mature generation, you can read about that here. Let's see what we have on Generation X: AKA "Baby Busters" Unpredictable and disloyal to brands and skeptical of big business First one that was largely a product of divorce (latchkey kids) Very high expectations abo... 10/03/2009