Real Estate and Beyond Blog

ARIZONA SHORT SALE AND BEYOND MAIN WEB SITE READY TO GO

We are beefing up our short sale business here in Phoenix, Arizona. We are on a mission to help homeowners who need a short sale completed. We have developed our main web site at www.ArizonaShortSaleAndBeyond.com. We are proud to present a team of local professionals ready to assist all home owners who wish to pursue a short sale on their current residence. It was sad to me to see that 7 out of 10 people who were foreclosed upon never obtained professional assistance from a Realtor. Folks! The Real Estate and Beyond Team is here to assist.

The Real Estate and Beyond Team is here to help all Arizona home owners who are upside down in their home. We saw the growing need as 75% of all distressed properties are now short sales. We recruited an expert to handle all short sales. This individual is an expert at short sale negotiations with the banks. Sellers need a short sale pro to negotiate with the banks to make sure the deal closes so they can move on with their life. Many people will need a second chance to recover from this real estate disaster.

We have developed the following sections to make it easier to obtain information on your Arizona Short Sale

• Things you need to know
• Frequently asked questions
• Short Sale vs Foreclosure
• Mortgage Debt Relief
• Start My Short Sale Today

DO FIRST IMPRESSIONS STILL MEAN SOMETHING IN TODAY'S MODERN SOCIETY?

Do first impressions still mean something in today's modern society? Are you meeting your clients for the first time in jeans and shirt or shirt and tie? Does it really matter? Are people dressing more casual than before? Is it different for a man and woman when it comes to first impressions? What are you doing in your personal business? Personally, I believe first impressions do mean a great deal. I am very old fashioned when it comes to first impressions. I was taught that we only have one shot at impressing a person. Would you agree with this statement?

We all judge each other when meeting for the first time. People will judge the following items:

• Clothes
• Shoes
• Hair style
• Facial hair
• Nose
• Car that ones drive
• Way one speaks
• Handshake strong or weak?
• Way one walks
• Attitude negative or positive
• Knowledgeable yes or no?

Again, these are just a few of the items that we judge each other on when meeting for the first time. How are you coming across when meeting a client for the first time? National Association of Realtors state that we have about 70% chance of obtaining a client on first meeting. Also, people have stated that they would use the same agent at an outstanding rate of 81%.

What does this tell you?

It pays to make a real good impression on the first meeting.

BLOGGING AND PROVIDING FREE MLS SEARCH GENERATES BUYER LEADS

I have been blogging for about fifteen months. I was like everyone else telling myself I had no time or nobody would read my blogs. So, I decided to take the plunge and dedicate ninety minutes per day for social media. Well, I have to admist that it does work. Blog and people will come. It is all about quality content. People will search for content and will find it. You want to be the one providing quality content for your local real estate market.

www.960RealEstate.com

Well, I was looking into services that provide quality IDX searches for a great price. Well, I picked FlexMLS because of their one time fee along with their quality/ease of service for the public. I develop one web site per month. So, I am allowed unlimited access to the FlexMLS home search. That was important to me. It works great with my curent Arizona MLS system. The lead is stored in the system. It automatically is updated in my database that is connect to my current MLS search. Also, I receive an Email on my cell phone informing me that a person has signed up for this service. It gives me an option to call this person instantly while I am in the field.

I have never purchased leads in my career. I am not against these types of services. I have been blessed in generating great leads to convert into real estate closings. Now, I am looking at other services to purchase leads to distribute out to my other team members.

I just wanted to share my success with others. Give it a shot today!

MOLD DISCOVERED DURING KITCHEN RENOVATION

My wife and I were all excited about updating our kitchen cabinets and counter tops. It was time for a change. So, we had it all planned out and ready to install our new kitchen in April of 2010. The workers came early on a Saturday morning. We had coffee and donuts for them. They were very thankful. So, they started to do their prep work. Then, they removed the first cabinet section. It was all over from there. We discovered a puddle of water along with black mold. STOP THE PRESSES!

Here is another picture of the drywall stripped from the kitchen wall. Well, we discovered that the water was leading from the main water pipe coming into the house. The pipe was cracked about three inches from top to bottom. Luckily, my neighbor down the street is a licensed plumber for the last thirty years. He said it was an easy fix for him. So, I proceeded to call my insurance company to report the claim. They sent out their inspectors. I called my mold inspector friend to conduct mold tests to verify I had mold.

Good news was that I had mold. It was going to cost me about $2,300 to do mold remediation in the kitchen. Mold was only detected in the kitchen. The bad news was that the insurance company would not cover the claim because they said it was an extended leak. Really? I would encourage everyone to read their homeowners insurance policy. It is very interesting to see what they will cover and not cover.

Finally, we just updated our kitchen this past month. That has been our summer project for the house. We had a little delay due to the mold. We are preparing for the school year coming up in less than a month.

PHOENIX FIX AND FLIP HOUSE READY TO GO TO MARKET IN A WEEK

Are you still buying homes from Arizona Trustee Sales? Are you still doing Phoenix and Flip homes? The answer to both questions is "YES." The Real Estate and Beyond Team continues to be very busy this summer. We continue to pick up Canadian real estate investors who wish to take advantage of the Phoenix real estate marekt. Also, we have local real estate investors that just want to get into the game. Folks! This opportunity will not last forever. Mortgage rates continue to be low along with the price of labor and materials. Where do I start? Luckily, we are here to serve.

I had one of my real estate investors call me the other day to inform me that he purchased another home from the Arizona Trustee Sale. He is my prized student when it comes to Phoenix Fix and Flip. I asked him if he needed assistance on my part. He explained to me that he had the painters in the house. The carpet and landscaper will be there tomorrow with their written estimates. This investor used the Real Estate and Beyond Network of local professionals on his own to complete the home. Why recreate the wheel? I train real estate investors that they can do it on their own as time goes on. You can do the same.

I will be listing this home this week. It is in an excellent location. We will price the home to move so we can do another Phoenix Fix and Flip before the end of the year. The goal is to turn the property to make a profit. There are far too many investors that become greedy. We must acknowledge current market conditions and adjust to it.

ARIZONA SHORT SALE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We have 11 million American households under water with their current mortgage. Statistics tell us 7 out of 10 people foreclosed upon never contact a professional Realtor to assist them during their time of need. Banks continue to foreclose on properties in the state of Arizona. Real estate investors continue to purchase great deals at the Arizona Trustee Sales. We can assist you with your Arizona Short Sale. We have a team of experts standing by to get the most difficult questions answered by professionals in their field such as real estate law, tax and credit restoration.

WWW.ARIZONASHORTSALEANDBEYOND.COM

What is a short sale?

A short sale is an agreement with your mortgage lender to accept less than the total amount you owe on your home and allow the property to be sold. For example, if you purchased your home for $200,000 but now it is only worth $150,000 and you must move, you could negotiate with your lender to accept the current market value as payment in full.

How do you qualify?

Nearly everyone who is currently in a negative equity situation or behind on their mortgage payments can qualify for a short sale. Generally all the bank needs to see is proof of a financial hardship and a decrease in property value. Will I have to stop making my mortgage payments before the bank will approve my short sale? You do not have to stop making payments on your home in order for the bank to approve a short sale but it does help.
In some situations, such as a relocation, you may not need to miss payments for your lender to consider a short sale.

If I am doing a short sale am I in foreclosure or pre-foreclosure?

Not necessarily - a short sale is simply requesting the bank to accept a total payoff of your loan for an amount less than what you owe. You are only in foreclosure when you receive the foreclosure notice from the bank.

Can a short sale be completed if I have a second mortgage or home equity line?

Of course. The majority of people we work with have both a 1st and 2nd mortgage or a home equity line. In this situation the 1st mortgage generally approves an amount we are allowed to offer the 2nd and we negotiate between the two. The 2nd mortgage company is accustomed to taking a much lower payoff - generally less than 10% of the total loan amount.

Who pays the real estate commission, closing costs and past due taxes and HOA dues?

Your lender will pay all of the closing costs, commissions and any outstanding HOA assessments or past due taxes when the closing takes place. Sellers are never required to come out of pocket on a short sale transaction.

Will I have to make repairs to my home?

Your property will be purchased in As-Is condition which means the buyer cannot request you to make repairs.

Why would my lender agree to do a short sale on my home?

When banks foreclose on a property it is a long and expensive process and generally means holding the property in their inventory as a non-performing asset. Banks have a limit to the amount of non-performing assets they want to hold. Once this limit is exceeded, they have strong incentives to get rid of the properties at discount prices. For a lender, agreeing to a short sale avoids many of the costs associated with the foreclosure process. Attorney's fees, delays from borrower bankruptcies, damage to the property, costs associated with resale, property tax, insurance, etc., must all be paid by the bank during a foreclosure. In a short sale scenario, the lender is able to reduce their loss by avoiding additional legal fees, repair costs and utility bills and often times selling the home faster and at a higher price.

CONTACT SHORT SALE LISTING AGENT TODAY

SEC SETTLES WITH GOLDMAN SACHS FOR $550 MILLION MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FULL ARTICLE

I was reading an article stating that the SEC will settle with Goldman Sachs for a grand total of $550 million. This must be approved by a federal judge located in Manhattan New York. However, Big Brother must protect us from the evil doers who were one of the big players in the subprime mortgage scandal. $550 million sounds like a big number when it comes to a settlement. Did you know that Goldman Sacks reported a profit of $13 billion at the end of 2009? They are on course to having another great year in 2010. I have these wise words to say to the American people "ONLY IN AMERICA."

I am sure Goldman Sachs wants to put this behind them. The Government continues to investigate the firm to see what really did happen to create the financial crisis. The Government charged the firm with fraud. Their findings show conflict of interest on their part. The SEC focused on Goldman Sachs to make an example out of them. Hey! someone has to be the bad guy here. They did make a profit of $13 billion in 2009. OK slap me on the hand in the tune of $550 million so I can move on with my life.

This whole subprime mortgage crisis has hurt many people across America. Experts state that we will be in this mess for another three or more years. We have 11 million American households under water when it comes to the value of their home. What does the future hold for us?

Gordon Gekko "GREED IS GOOD FOR AMERICA."

Here is my question "AT WHAT COST?'

HOW TO UPDATE AN ENTIRE KITCHEN IN A PHOENIX AND FLIP A HOUSE

Here is a recent photo of a kitchen of a home that we purchased at the Arizona Trustee Sale. Yes, this will be another Phoenix Fix and Flip House being prepared for resale. However, we will need to update this kitchen based upon the photo to the left. The appliances have to be fifteen years old. The counter tops are so outdated. The kitchen is one of the most important areas when doing a Phoenix and Flip House. Why? It is an area where we spend a lot of time preparing food and gathering during the holidays. It must feel friendly and functional at the same time.

SEARCH FOR ARIZONA BANK FORECLOSURES

BID AT THE ARIZONA TRUSTEE SALES

PRIVATE MONEY AVAILABLE

Here is an updated picture of a recent kitchen update on another Phoenix and Flip House. This ended up being a gourmet kitchen because it was located in between a Historic District. However, the seller spend the money in the right places on this project. I had an accepted contract on this home in less than two weeks being on the market. This home just closed last week. Now, the real estate investors want to do another one. The kitchen has updated cabinets, counter tops, appliances and track lighting.

Did I mention that all the work was performed by all licensed professionals in their field of expertise? The Real Estate and Beyond Team is here to assist you in taking advantage of the Phoenix Real Estate market.

CONTACT HARRY

TOP 10 ITEMS TO UPDATE WHEN DOING A PHOENIX FIX AND FLIP A HOUSE  

We are in the middle of another successful Phoenix Fix and Flip House that we purchased from the Arizona Trustee Sale. More and more people are calling me wishing to learn more about buying from auction. Folks! I do this on a daily basis so I would love to teach you. Many real estate investors get into trouble because they spend way too much on the repair costs. We need to think of the end in mind. What do I repair and how do I do it? Also, I have had investors who wish to do the repairs themselves only wishing if they would have outsourced this part. Why? They want to save money. However, the house does not get on the market for another two months. Where are you saving the money?

How much is too much detail? I inform the real estate investor that we must update homes when outdated.

SEARCH FOR ARIZONA BANK FORECLOSURES FOR FREE

TOP 10 ITEMS WHEN UPDATING A HOME WHEN DOING A PHOENIX FIX AND FLIP A HOUSE

1. Interior Paint
2. New Carpet throughout the home
3. Paint the front door
4. Paint all interior doors
5. Change air vents
6. New Kitchen with counter tops
7. New electrical outlet plats
8. Track lighting in kitchen and living room
9. Front and back landscaping
10. Remove all popcorn ceilings with new texture ceiling

We are currently working on this home that we purchased from the Arizona Trustee Sale. A Canadian real estate investor purchased this home with the assistance from the Real Estate and Beyond Team. We are doing all ten things to this home in order to update this home to appeal to a first home buyer. This home is located in an older established neighborhood desired by families. It is five minutes from the highway, parks, schools, restaurants and shopping. We believe that we will have a contract on this home in thirty days due to the recent updates on the home and the price point will be set to move the home.

We will keep you up to date on more Phoenix Fix and Flip Houses. Putting the "REAL" back into real estate.

CONTACT HARRY

I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON THIS PHOENIX FIX AND FLIP HOUSE

I received a call from my painter informing me that we have an electrical problems on the current Phoenix Fix and Flip home that we purchased from the Arizona Trustee Sale. The painter was unable to run his electrical equipment at full speed. I thanked him for the update. It is vital that I receive this information right away so we can solve the problem. I call up our trusted electrician to view the house. He will be there this morning to troubleshoot and fix the problem right away so that we have no problems during a home inspection.

Yes, we do updated the entire house when we do a Phoenix Fix and Flip house. However, we also ensure that it is mechanically, safe and secure at the same time. Many buyers appreciate us going the extra mile. I would like to stress the importance of using licensed professionals when doing a job. Why? If there are any problems, then they just come over and fix the problem right away. Who wants to chase a person down? Recently, we received a buyer request list to repair items. Well, we took care of the entire list. Half of the items we under warranty from the General Contractor. The other items were minor. Overall, this home closed this past Friday.

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The Phoenix real estate market offers a great opportunity for real estate investors from around the world to take advantage of opportunities in our beautiful city. We still have plenty of buyers looking for great homes in great neighborhoods. There are plenty of distressed homes that need real estate investors to pour capital into these homes and put them back on the market for resale. Yes, the banks are still lending money to purchase homes.

CONTACT HARRY