Home Sales Increase Across the Country

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Team Van Assen

The National Association of Realtors recently released their 2011 3rd Quarter Housing Report. In the report, they showed that combined sales of single family homes, condos and co-ops increased in EVERY state as compared to the 3rd quarter of last year. Here are the state-by-state numbers.

Article provided by KCM

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Short Sales

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Team Van Assen

Why would you do a short sale, how do you do a short sale, what are the benefits to you? If you are upside down on the mortgage on your home and can no longer afford the payment, it does make sense for you to do a short sale. Better for your credit, better for your future buying power, better for your neighborhood, and I believe better for your self esteem. What? Yes better for your self esteem. Doing a short sale is a process that you can somewhat control with the help of professionals. You can control when you leave the home, you can hopefully negotiate the end result, and many times you can do this without the neighbors knowing your business.

A short sale is not the end of the world for homeowners, the stigma of short sales and foreclosures is diminished in this economy. The Van Assen Team and Realty Executives Platinum Group work with a team of professionals to negotiate and mitigate your short sale to minimize the effect it has on you, always working on your behalf.

Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Finance, News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Career In Real Estate

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Team Van Assen

Does it make sense to start your career in real estate now? With foreclosures at an all time high, with the real estate agent population dwindling on a daily basis, does it make sense? I think it does. We have had an unprecedented number of agents leaving the business, most of these agents did not take their long term business seriously and went about their business without the future in mind. They did a very good job of handling todays transactions, but failed to create the system for tomorrows business. It is not as easy as it used to be, but their is still a great career in real estate available to you. It requires hard work, followup, planning, and educating, but for those who choose real estate as a career and will treat it like a business, it is still a great choice. Freedom, choices, financial rewards, your own schedule, all the reasons why people use to choose a real estate career are still there, they just require some hard work and diligence on your part. Thinking about a new career in real estate, or at a crossroads in your own real estate career, call me and lets see if we can get you off dead center and heading in the right direction.

Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Improvement, News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Van Assen Team Commercial

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Team Van Assen
Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Finance, Home Improvement, Lifestyle and Community, News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vacant Homes: 8 Ways to Make Sure They’re Maintained

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Realty Executives

By: Mariwyn Evans
Published: September 30, 2010

Living near a vacant home doesn’t have to mean putting up with overgrown grass and unshoveled snow. Does your community use these eight common local laws, programs, and regulations to force owners to maintain vacant homes?

With the foreclosure crisis, you may have noticed a vacant home or two on your block. Rather than see the home free-fall into disrepair, push local officials to take action before the untended house lowers the value of your own home.
Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyle and Community | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Avoid Foreclosure Rescue Scams

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Realty Executives

By: Donna Fuscaldo
Published: January 15, 2010

With foreclosure rescue scams widespread as more homeowners fall behind on mortgage payments, be smart if you seek help.

A record high 2.8 million properties were hit with foreclosure notices in 2009, putting even more Americans at risk of facing foreclosure rescue scams. Homeowners who fall behind on mortgage payments need to tread carefully when seeking assistance, since foreclosure rescue scams come in many guises. A day spent researching legitimate options, from a mortgage modification or principal forbearance to a short sale or deed-in-lieu, could keep you from becoming a scam victim.
Continue reading →

Posted in Home Finance | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Foreclosure Counselors: What They Can and Can’t Do

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Realty Executives

By: G. M. Filisko
Published: August 4, 2010

Foreclosure counselors can make the difference between losing your home and keeping it. Here’s how they work and how to choose one.

If you’re facing foreclosure, your foreclosure counselor will be a key part of your foreclosure team. As you start looking for one, however, you need to know what exactly they do, what they don’t do, and how to choose one who’s legitimate and qualified.

What a foreclosure counselor does
•    Reviews your finances
•    Helps you establish a budget
•    Explains your non-foreclosure options, such as loan modification, short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure; helps you navigate the process with any chosen option
•    Advocates on your behalf with lenders and loan servicers
Continue reading →

Posted in Home Finance | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Attic Insulation Saves You Money

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Realty Executives

By: Jeanne Huber
Published: September 21, 2010

Add attic insulation to lower heating and cooling costs by as much as $600 per year.

Save about $600 per year by boosting the amount of attic insulation from R-11 to R-49. Depending on the type of materials you use, figure on paying an insulation contractor about $1,500 to insulate an 800-square-foot attic, which pays back your investment in three years. You’ll spend about half that to do the job yourself.

Do you need more attic insulation?

A good, quick way to check if you need insulation is to look across your attic floor. If the existing insulation comes up just to the tops of the joists, then you probably need to add insulation. If you can’t see the joists and the insulation is well above the tops of the joists, you’re probably okay and you won’t recoup the cost of adding more.
Continue reading →

Posted in Home Improvement | Tagged | Leave a comment

Three Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Realty Executives

Buyers only get one first look at a property, and they don’t want to use their imagination. They assume the house they see is as good as it’s going to get. If you want your home to sell, step out of your comfort zone and think like a buyer. Here are three ways to help you turn your house into the home of someone else’s dreams. We’ve broken down each category into low-cost, “Basic” tips and tricks, and an “All-Out” blow-the-budget transformation. How far you take it is up to you.
Continue reading →

Posted in For Sellers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Find the Best REALTOR® to Sell Your House

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Realty Executives

By: G. M. Filisko
Published 2010-03-11 16:55:53

Ask detailed questions about their experience and skills to help you find the right agent for your home sale.

Working with the right real estate agent can mean the difference between getting prompt, expert representation and feeling like you’re going it alone when selling your home. Here are 10 questions to ask when you’re interviewing agents.
Continue reading →

Posted in For Sellers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment